


Mr. President

by BatuuPrincess



Series: Damerey Week 2020 [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, American Politics, Chief of Staff Rey, F/M, I'm talking very loosely, Light Angst, Mutual Pining, President Poe Dameron, Romance, Secret Relationship, Slow Dancing, Very loosely based on Scandal, kind of, slowish burn, these two are about to erupt, who am I kidding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:55:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 76,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27250816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatuuPrincess/pseuds/BatuuPrincess
Summary: It’s inauguration night for President Poe Dameron, and his new chief of staff just has one last document to drop off before she can head to one of the ten balls in his honor. But once inside the Oval Office, she finds a little more than she bargained for.About to take the world’s biggest stage as a major player, Rey must decide how much she’s willing to give up for the opportunity.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Rey
Series: Damerey Week 2020 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1976626
Comments: 595
Kudos: 218





	1. Inauguration Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fun one. I spent a lot of October rewatching Scandal and this is what happened. I made some changes to make it a little more palatable, but it's there. Hopefully you enjoy!

Rey Skywalker walked the halls of the West Wing, quiet now after the whirlwind activity of the day. Inauguration day. 

The thick carpeting swallowed the clicks of her heels as she made her way to the Oval, her long gown swishing delightfully behind her. Even after all the years and the sweat and the tears, it was hard to believe that they’d made it. They’d actually made it to the White House. 

She waved at the few members of the staff that hadn’t quite made it to one of the parties yet - much like herself - the only people technically on duty this evening being the Secret Service. One of which was standing guard at the Oval Office.

“Good evening, Ms. Skywalker,” he said, Rey slightly amazed that they’d all learned her name already.

She held up the file in her hand. “Can I leave this on the desk for the President, Joe?”

“Of course.” With zero fanfare, he opened the door for her, it clicking shut behind her no sooner than she’d passed the threshold.

Rey tried not to let the room in front of her take her breath away.

The Oval Office. She’d been in here before, what with the months of transition meetings and even a quick celebratory toast after the inauguration this afternoon, but never alone. Never when she’d had the time and access to really appreciate where she was. 

It was beautiful, even in the semi dark and with the former President’s tastes shining through. By tomorrow morning, all of this would be replaced with Poe’s selections, but for now the walls were covered with a creamy paper, and dark wood dominated the furniture. Not even the curtains - a garish gold that Rey would have burned if given the chance - could take away from the majesty of the space. 

Slowly, she crossed the room, letting her heels sink into that Presidential seal that featured in every TV show and movie she’d ever seen about this place. And there, in front of the wide, south-facing windows, stood the Resolute Desk.

She let her hand slide across the surface, feeling the history in every scrape, bump, and scar beneath her fingers. The men who had sat at this desk. The decisions that had been made. It was a living, breathing piece of their history, and here she was dropping off a list of suggested changes to the various agency heads. Would the wonders never cease?

So enthralled with her surroundings was Rey, that she completely missed the sound of the door opening and closing until a voice rang out in the semi-dark.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

Though she’d know that voice anywhere, she still jumped in surprise at it sounding so close to her. But she recovered quickly. “Mr. President, aren’t you supposed to be at an inaugural ball?”

“I’ve been three so far. Only seven to go.” He stepped closer, his voice dropping. “And last night, you called me Poe, if I remember correctly. More than once.”

Rey’s face heated. He’d spent half the night between her thighs. She’d called out “Poe” a whole hell of a lot more than once. “You weren’t President of the United States last night.”

“And today, I am,” he said, almost like he couldn’t quite believe it either. He stepped closer, the clean scent of soap and cologne engulfing her. Familiar. Intoxicating. He ran a hand over the desk. “Which means that today, this desk is mine. And we can do anything we want on it.”

Rey flushed at the insinuation, a rush of heat to both her chest and her core. But Poe wasn’t done with her, yet.

“Would you like it if I bent you over the Resolute Desk?” he whispered, his breath hot against the shell of her ear as he leaned in. “Or would you rather I spread you out, took my time with you?”

Desire coursed through her, a hot, molten thing. Her thighs clenched under the voluminous fabric of her dress, hidden from both the man in front of her and any other prying eyes. 

“You’re drunk,” she accused, though there wasn’t so much of a hint of it on his breath. Anything to distract from her rapidly failing self-control.

“Haven’t you heard?” Poe chuckled, taking a step back. These politicians were all the same. Nothing but empty promises. “I have the nuclear codes, now. No getting drunk for me.”

Though she hated the distance and the steady ache between her thighs, Rey couldn’t help but be thankful for the room to breath. Plus, it finally gave her an excuse to really look at him for the first time that night.

His curls were artfully styled, defined and tousled and looking remarkably more like him than she expected. A hint of grey peeked through the black here and there, just enough to make him look distinguished, not old. And no one could deny he wore the hell out of that tux - white tie no less - the crisp lines making him look taller than his 5’9”. Though there was no denying that even with the optical illusion of the suit, she towered over him in her heels. He was still the same old Poe. 

Make that President Poe Dameron.

But she knew every inch of him under that suit, compiled over years spent in and out of bed. The tickle of his chest hair on her cheek when she pillowed her head on his chest. The way his skin felt slick yet cool against hers after a weekend spent entirely in bed. The steady beat of his heart beneath her ear as she drifted off to sleep. Not to mention the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled at her or the little snorting laugh he had when he thought something was truly funny or the breathy way he said her name when he wanted her. All together it made up the man standing before her. The man she loved.

The one man on this planet she couldn’t have.

“You look very handsome tonight, Mr. President,” she said, in spite of herself. He was like a black hole, and she helpless against his pull. Even though he was now the leader of the free world, even though he was off limits, even though it killed her. “But won’t they be looking for you at the next ball?”

She knew his schedule by heart, knew he was due at the convention center nearly 10 minutes ago. Absently, she wondered if he’d come here for any particular reason. Other than to find her, that is.

“I’ve danced with enough senator’s wives and donor’s wives and lobbyist’s wives tonight to last a lifetime. They can wait.”

When had he gotten that close? She could smell his cologne, feel the heat of his body on her skin. It was distracting to say the least.

“Well, Mr. President, if you’d have brought a date like I’d suggested…”

“Now why would the first unmarried President since, what, Buchanan? Show up to his big day with a date?” He closed what little distance was between them, arms wrapping around her in a most familiar way. “You sold me as the bachelor President, married to the country, so now I have to go stag.” His lips hovered just to the right of her ear, his words spoken directly. “And anyways, I only wanted to dance with you.”

A shiver went through her at his words, but she had enough self control to say, “Poe we talked about this. We decided-”

“Oh,  _ now _ it’s Poe,” he chuckled, not letting her finish that thought. “And we didn’t decide, you decided.”

She needed air. To think clearly, she needed air and more than a half inch of distance between them. Maybe a stiff drink.

She stepped out of his arms, expecting resistance but finding none. “I’m your campaign manager. It’s my literal job to make that decision. Er, was my job.” Now, she was technically his chief of staff. The first female chief of staff ever, if she wanted to brag about it. It was still a little hard to believe they’d won. “It’s political suicide, and we both know it.”

“How is being with the woman I love politcal suicide?” Now, he was growing agitated, hand automatically going to his hair. “Please, tell me.”

How many variations of this conversation had they had over the years? It counted in the hundreds, it had to. And every time, it ended the exact same way. 

“You know exactly why.” She crossed her arms, readying for a fight.

Poe’s expression darkened. “No, no, please. Enlighten me.”

“Because we’re a cliche!” she practically shouted, finally losing patience. Good god, she was yelling at the President of the United States in the Oval Office. “The fresh faced girl, straight out of college, falling for the candidate she was supposed to be getting elected. The older man, unable to help himself. Do you know how many careers end that way in this town?”

“That’s a little reductive.” She gave him a look. “No, really. There was no jilted wife, no disappointed boyfriend. I wasn’t sending you dick pics after tucking my kids in for the night. And I’ll remind you that you were 23 years old, absolutely brilliant, and most definitely not some intern.” He took a step closer, placing one hand on either of her bare arms. “Not to mention the five years we’ve been together since.”

Rey could feel herself thawing. Against her better judgement. “Five and half years.” Which she knew he knew because Poe had a thing about dates. He collected them. Your birthday, your mom’s birthday, the day you adopted your cat, Poe remembered them all. It was one of those superpowers that got him here. He could remember anything or anyone - as long as it was attached to a date. “Which you know full well.”

“Well I suppose it depends on when we call it, right? How you define a relationship we’ve always refused to define.” Poe took her softening as an invitation, his smile turning playful. “Was it the first time we looked at each other and said ‘we can’t do this?’” His hands ghosted down her arms and back up again, the hypnotic pattern leaving goosebumps in its wake. “Was it the first time we gave in and kissed?” Rey closed her eyes against the memory. A late night working on a speech. The realization that they were completely alone. Temptation taking over in the end. He had tasted like the pizza they’d just eaten. “Or was it the first time we made love?”

Rey felt a smile creeping across her face. “The night you won the governorship. God, it felt inevitable by then, didn’t it?”

“Like every breath was leading me to you,” he said it like it was so easy. But then again, Poe had always been more forthcoming with his feelings than Rey. It had almost been their downfall on more than one occasion. 

For a moment, they stood frozen in time, neither daring to move before Poe’s voice, so soft she could barely hear it, broke through. “Dance with me.”

Rey jerked out of her daydream. “Poe…”

“Not out there, I know that,” he said, sounding like he hated it anyway. “Here. Now.”

There wasn’t any real harm in it, not when the Secret Service had already seen this much of their relationship. The cameras were everywhere. But something in her still wanted to be contrary. “There’s no music.”

As if expecting that very excuse out of her mouth, Poe smiled, one hand digging into his breast pocket for a phone. It only took two clicks before an “It's Been a Long, Long Time” was blaring from the tinny little speakers.

“You had that all cued up, didn’t you?” she laughed, accepting his hand anyway.

He brought her close, the dance lessons he’d taken for this very night shining through as they swayed to the soft sounds of big band. They were pressed cheek to cheek, Rey letting her eyes fall closed as she imagined they were at one of the balls, no secrets, no lies, just their love out in the open for all to see.

But that was a fantasy. And this was the real world. The world of tabloids and whispering house staff and scandals that could end a Presidency before it began.

“This has to be it,” she said, her voice soft so as not to ruin the moment. Even though she was, you know, ruining the moment. “For real this time. No slip ups.”

Naturally, Poe ignored her.

“Come see me tonight,” he whispered, by way of answer. “I know a guy who can get you in.”

Rey laughed, the sound not at all funny. “And what, you’ll sneak me into the Lincoln bedroom in the dead of night and hope nobody notices? You have a staff of hundreds, Poe.”

“I’m pretty sure they’re not allowed to talk about anything that goes on in here.”

“And no one’s ever slipped?” She hated how she sounded, but this was the life they were living. It was time for one of them to get real. She tilted her head back to look into his dark eyes. “This isn’t going to be like before. You can’t just slip out of the Governor’s mansion and come to my apartment.”

“Says who?” Poe’s eyes sparkled in the half light of the room.

“The five or so Secret Service who follow you everywhere.”

Poe laughed, the sound reverberating in her chest. “You know they come into the bathroom with me? Thank god I don’t have stage fright.”

Rey smiled in spite of herself. God, he knew how to defuse a situation. Yet another one of his superpowers. 

They continued to sway slowly to the music, the air heavy with everything left unsaid. After another minute, it became too much. “Poe, we have to talk about this.”

“I know.” She could feel Poe’s sigh work its way through his body. “I just… I don’t want to wait eight years to be with you.”

The words threatened to suck the air from her lungs. But now was not the time to break down, so Rey fell back on one of Poe’s favorite tricks. “Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself? I mean, you might want to spend more than half a day in the White House before you start planning your second term.”

But the joke fell flat.

“Rey, I’m serious. I’ll be - what - 49 when I get out of office, if this all goes according to plan. I don’t want to wait until I’m almost 50 to start living my life.” 

At some point over the last few minutes, they had stopped moving, the music carrying on, unknowing. 

“You think I want to wait that long?” She looked into those warm dark eyes, hating the pain she saw there. The pain she was putting there. “But we made this choice two years ago, when you decided to make a run for it. It’s done.”

Poe brought a hand up to cup her cheek so gently she wanted to cry. “And there’s no room for changing our minds?” His voice was soft, and too hopeful by half. It made it that much harder to say what needed to be said.

“Not that I can see.”

She watched as the words sunk in, Poe’s face rearranging into something a little more stoic. That poker face. “Right.” She made to step back, give him room to process this, but he immediately grabbed her arms. “Wait. If this is it, I want to finish this dance.”

Rey looked at his face, swallowing down the guilt that rose, unbidden. This was supposed to be one of the best days of his life and instead, regret and sorrow was etched into every one of those handsome features. And she had put it there. 

She supposed it couldn’t hurt to keep dancing a little while longer. 

So she nodded, and Poe pulled her close once more. Rey closed her eyes again, this time committing every single thing about the moment to memory. The feel of his arms around her. The manly, but soft, scent of his cologne. The heat of his body pressed against hers. Eight years was a long time. 

As one song faded into the next, the knowledge that they’d been putting off started to creep back in. The real world would not wait much longer.

“Poe.” Her voice was soft, but insistent.

He sighed, his breath warm on her cheek. “I know. It’s time.”

Reluctant as they were to part, Poe stepped back just enough to look at her face, his own a mask of misery. Outside the windows, the garden was illuminated for night, the light filtering in doing little to dispel the shadows of the mostly darkened office.

Poe’s smile was sad as he brought one hand up to cup her cheek, his thumb lazily tracing an arc over the bone. “Can I kiss you? For old time’s sake.”

Instead of answering, Rey surged forward, her lips finding fire when they pressed against his. Poe responded in kind, dragging her closer, his tongue begging entry along the seam of her lips. There was no question of opening to him, to deepening the kiss. Might as well give the Secret Service agents watching the feed a little show.

It was far too easy to let herself get lost in him, the doubt creeping in to any space she gave it. All too soon, Poe was pulling back.

“I love you,” he mumbled into her lips. 

The words hit her with the force of a freight train. They’d said them plenty over the years, but this time it sounded more like goodbye than anything else. The weight of that decision they made so long ago pressed down on her.

Her voice was full of the tears she refused to shed when she answered, “I know, Mr. President. I know.”

If it was at all possible, Poe’s face fell further at the stark reminder of their new roles. He dropped his hands abruptly, as if he couldn’t stand the thought of touching her one moment longer. 

His tone was all business when he cleared his throat and said, “I suppose I’ll see you at the ball, then.”

“Of course, Mr. President.”

It took every ounce of self control she had to turn and walk toward the door, each step taking her further and further from the man she loved. But she forced herself forward, knowing that if she looked back she was lost. Though that didn’t stop her mind from reeling. 

She didn’t want to wait eight years for her life to begin, either. Sure, they’d made these decisions years ago, but weren’t rules meant to be broken? They’d told her there was no way an unmarried president would fly with the American people and look where they were now. Perhaps it was time to stop playing by an outdated set of rules and make some of their own.

As she reached the door, the temptation became too much, and Poe too quiet, for her not to turn around.

He was standing in front of the resolute desk, hands in his pockets as he looked out into the trees beyond. Though she couldn’t see his face, the way he held himself spoke volumes. Despondent. Desperate. Defeated.

The decision was made in an instant.

“Poe?” 

He turned, not bothering to hide the tears in his eyes. Not from her. Never from her. 

She blinked, letting her own fall in response. “Ask me to dance.”

Without waiting for a response, she slipped out the door, blinking in relief at the empty hallway. It felt like she’d been holding her breath for five years and now, for the first time since they got together, she could breathe.

A smile played across her lips as she headed down the hall and toward the ball. Time to face the music.


	2. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the morning after the Inauguration, and Poe and Rey must navigate this brave new world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The people have spoken, and apparently they want more of President Dameron! Huge shout out to everyone who read and liked and commented (not to mention a few discord enablers), it is all that love for this story that convinced me to keep going with it, despite the half dozen other ongoing WIPs. Even with all that outpouring, I was a little hesitant to continue this story if only because I'm a little terrified that it won't live up to the perfection of the original. But I'll give it my all.
> 
> Just a little warning: this chapter is probably going to be a little clunky as I try and segue into some actual plot, so bare with me. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Time to face the music.

It was the first rational thought she had upon waking the following morning, the first full morning of Poe’s Presidency. She opened her eyes, blinking in the light streaming through the windows. The second thought? 

Oh, fuck.

Because not only was her head fixing to split - courtesy of all the free-flowing champagne she’d enjoyed last night - but as she looked around the room, she realized it wasn’t hers. Or her apartment, for that matter. No, this was quite obviously the residence. Of the White House.

Clutching the sheets to her very naked body, she sat up, her stomach threatening to revolt at the movement. Right. Hungover. She’d do well to remember that.

“Ah, she lives,” came Poe’s voice from across the room. Of course, he looked fresh as a daisy as he made his way over to the bed, though she knew he had been just as tipsy as her last night, nuclear codes be damned. He leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips. “Morning, Sunshine.”

It felt so natural that Rey forgot for a moment who and where they were, along with the absolute shit storm they faced outside of these walls, just letting herself fall into the sweet domestic mirage. 

Last night had been an actual dream, drinking and dancing and laughing on the world’s biggest stage. Her cheeks still ached for the smiling. There had been a moment as Poe took her into his arms and the band struck up when the feeling of rightness between them completely took over, enough that everything else fell away, and for a minute or two, it was just her and Poe. For once, there wasn’t a single thought in her head about the people who were watching or what the media would say or how the polls would end up. Happy. That’s the word she was looking for. In that moment, she was happy.

Enough so that the mirage had apparently bled into the morning. Yes, they were just a regular couple, greeting each other and the new day. That is, until Rey finally got a good look at him.

Those instincts of hers returned in an instant.

“What are you wearing?” she asked, taking in the joggers and ratty Yavin State t-shirt. “You do realize this is more of a suit and tie job, right?”

“Yes, I’m quite aware of the dress code, thank you very much,” he laughed, bending over to re-tie one of his shoes. A gym shoe. “I’m going for a run with the Secret Service. It’s all very presidential, I promise.”

Rey leaned back against the pillows, considering that. It was a good photo op, especially after last night. It showed business as usual, a nod to the everyman platform they’d run on, not the scandal they were already becoming. Smart. Very smart. Sometimes she forgot that he was just as good at playing this game as she was.

She looked over to find Poe staring at her, brows raised.

“What?”

He shook his head. “I can literally see you calculating the political capital in real time.”

Busted. He knew her far too well. “So? We’ve got approval ratings to worry about.” Just the thought of what last night did to those numbers...

“From polls to approval ratings. How did I get so lucky?” But there was no heat to his words, and he took the opportunity to bend down and kiss her once more. 

Ok, maybe this whole out in the open thing wasn’t so bad after all.

After he pulled back, she turned, catching a glimpse of her phone on the nightstand. And the time displayed there, big as day.

“Shit! It’s after 7!” she practically shouted, sitting straight up again. They always, always got up at 5:30. That way there was plenty of time to sneak out and get where they needed to be. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

Poe’s face screwed up in confusion. And a little hurt. “I figured the cat was out of the bag so to speak. Plus, we earned a little extra sleep after last night.”

Her face heated at the memory. Yes, they’d enjoyed quite the celebration last night after returning to the residence - in separate cars, of course. In this bed. And the Lincoln Bedroom. The living room. The kitchen. One of the closets.

It had been quite the night.

But Rey pushed that from her mind as she got up from bed, abandoning the sheet altogether to walk naked toward her things. “Dancing together is one thing, a public walk of shame is something completely different.” She fell short as she found herself in front of the chair where her crumpled gown from last night lay abandoned. Closed her eyes. Heaved a sigh.

“What?” His voice was soft, tentative. A little sad. Her heart gave a twist. Logically, she knew she needed to stop taking this out on him - it took two to tango, so to speak - but there was no one else but herself to blame.

“My suit from yesterday is in my office. I can’t walk through the West Wing in last night’s dress.”

Poe came up behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder as his arms wrapped around her bare waist. “Would you like me to send someone to grab it?” Soft lips pressed against the side of her throat. “Maybe borrow something. I bet you’d look great in one of my suits.”

Rey snorted at the mental picture of her walking into her office on the first day of the Dameron administration in one of the President’s suits. Definitely not the tone she was going for.

“No, no,” she said, deftly stepping out of his arms. As much as she couldn’t wear something of Poe’s, it wasn’t like she could wear yesterday’s suit either. “I’ll figure it out. And you should go. Don’t want to keep the Secret Service waiting.”

He looked at her carefully. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. Now, go, go.” She started to gently nudge him toward the door. “Before someone comes looking for you.”

“Will I see you later?” 

She fixed him with a look. “We have like seven meetings together today.”

“That’s not what I mean.” He dug in his feet and stopped just shy of the bedroom door.

She knew exactly what he meant. But that didn’t mean she had an answer for him. “Poe…”

“I know, I know. Later.” 

But neither of them moved as the seconds ticked by. There was something in the air, a change happening that they both could sense. Last night, a choice had been made, and once they left the solace of the residence, it would be time to deal with the fallout. There would be no escaping the news cycle, and they both knew it.

“It’s gonna be a long day, isn’t it?” asked Poe, finally breaking the silence. A soft smile quirked up his lips, almost wry in the morning light.

Rey simply nodded.

He took a step toward her, arms wrapping around once more to bring her close. “Well, then I better start it off right.” And then he was kissing her, lips hot and insistent on her own as she melted into the embrace. 

It never got old, this feeling between them, something that continued to surprise Rey year after year. She kept waiting for it to wane, for this fire between them to bank, but it just continued to burn, stronger than ever.

Finally, Rey pulled back, refusing to let herself become consumed. Again. “Run?”

“Run,” he repeated, forcing himself to take a step back. Though he smiled as he took in her still naked form, something mischievous glinting in his eyes as he looked her up and down. “Or we can try a different type of cardio this morning…”

“Poe.”

He laughed, one hand on the doorknob. “I know, I know. I’m going. See you at 9?”

“See you at 9, Mr. President.” It felt a little perverse to say it when she was standing naked in his bedroom, but they both needed a reminder of where things stood. 

For a split second, Poe’s face fell, but he quickly recovered, leaving her with a smile before disappearing out the door. She was about to go in search of something to wear when his head popped back in. “There’s coffee in the kitchen, if you want some.”

“Go!” she laughed, attempting to shoo him out the door. He got in one final peck in farewell before he vanished again.

She waited until the door had clicked shut behind him this time before she let out the breath she’d been holding. That had been close. To what, she wasn’t sure, just that they were definitely on the edge of something here. Putting it from her mind, she padded over to the dressing room, finding an old robe she knew Poe hadn’t worn in years. Even so, it smelled like him, that faint hint of cologne and soap that clung to all his clothes surrounding her as she wrapped herself in warmth.

There. That was better. Now she could think.

Though, there was really only one option for her at this point, loathe as she was to admit it. 

Rey took a deep breath and hit Rose’s contact info.

One ring, two rings, three rings, oh God, please pick up. It was the fourth ring when her prayer was answered.

“I am on my way,” Rose stated, no preamble. In the background, Rey could hear the early morning sounds of the city. “Listen, I know you’re probably in already, but I will remind you that it is well before 8am. And day one.”

Rey smiled. So she had a bit of a reputation as a hard ass and workaholic. Sue her.

“I know. And that’s not why I’m calling.” She took a deep breath, willing herself to calmly ask the question. “I gave you my new key, right?”

Rose had joined their team in the communications department back in the Governor Dameron years, quickly becoming one of Rey’s closest friends and confidants. Well, on most things.

“Yeah…” She sounded a little skeptical.

“Ok, good. I need you to run to my apartment and pick me up a fresh suit.”

Silence. A honking horn. Someone yelling in the distance.

“Rose?” asked Rey, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. 

Rey could hear the smile in her voice when she finally asked, “Um, where are you?” 

“Not at home,” hedged Rey.

“Yeah, I got that. Wait, wait, wait, are you telling me you went home with someone last night?”

Fuck. She should have called Finn. He probably wouldn’t have asked questions. Or at least not been quite as delighted by her imminent walk of shame. “Yes. Now can you stop at my place or no?”

“I’m already halfway there.” There was a pause, but Rey wasn’t foolish enough to believe she was off the hook yet. Naturally, Rose didn’t disappoint. “So who’s the lucky gentleman? Does this mean that now that you’ve won the White House, you’re finally going to have a personal life?”

Rose had been trying to set her up for years, Rey successfully dodging each and every blind date thrown her way. She was married to her job, she insisted, no time to worry about silly things like relationships. Though Rose was persistent. And now, very, very interested.

“Rose…”

Rey could almost picture Rose’s rolling eyes across the phone line. “Okay, okay. But where am I bringing this? Your office? Or am I schlepping it out to Georgetown or Dupont or something?”

And there it was, the moment (and the question) she’d really been dreading. She took a deep breath and braced for impact.

“The residence.”

And was met with silence, this time all encompassing. Like the line was dead or she had already made it to Rey’s apartment. 

“The residence,” Rose repeated, sounding completely dumbfounded. 

“Yes.”

“Like, the White House residence.”

“That’s the one.”

“Rey….”

“Oops, gotta go. Talk to Mike downstairs when you get here and he’ll show you up. Thanks, bye!” Rey clicked off before Rose could answer, sighing as she tossed the phone onto the bed. 

It would be at least a half hour (probably longer) before Rose could get here and through security, so all there was to do now was wait. At least she could do it with some caffeine.

So she found her way to the kitchen, wandering first through the living room and multiple sitting rooms before finally finding it. She’d thought she knew the layout pretty well, but in practice it felt a lot different than the various floorplans she’d seen.

It was smaller than she’d been expecting, decidedly unspectacular. Then again, this was just the family kitchen. The real stuff happened far below where she was standing now.

Pouring herself a mug, she found her way back to the master on the first try, waiting until she was seated in front of the little tv in the corner before taking a sip. Just how she liked it, strong and dark.

Fortified, she turned her attention to the television and what she was certain would be the first of several unrelenting news cycles. She held her breath and flipped on CNN.

Naturally, they were covering the events of the day (er, yesterday). The near record inauguration crowds. The swearing in of the first Latinx president. Poe’s speech (beautifully written by Finn, of course). A little speculation about what his first 100 days would look like. She waited with bated breath as they finished a round up of the parade and moved on to the balls.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched footage of Poe dancing with various wives of politicians and dignitaries, catching a single glimpse of her own pale pink dress before they moved on to live footage of Poe’s morning run. 

Wait, what?

There was no comment, no outcry, not a whiff of scandal surrounding their dance. They didn’t even mention her by name. Weird. She flipped to MSNBC. Then Fox.

Nothing. Not a single comment beyond “President Dameron shares dance with Chief of Staff.” And that was on Fox of all places.

Suddenly, the weight she’d thought had been lifted pressed down on her two-fold. This couldn’t be. They’d gone public. It was all supposed to be out in the open now. A scandal like this on day one  _ might  _ be survivable. Key word being might. Four years was a long time, and the American people had a notably short attention span. But now they were right back at square one, the sneaking and the secrets and the lies threatening to consume them all. 

A scandal was something she could handle. That was fixable. The secrets and lies, always trying to avoid getting caught, that was what she couldn’t manage. And with every passing second, their window to come clean got smaller and smaller.

Thankfully, there wasn’t any time to panic about it, not when Rose’s voice rang clear and true through the residence. “Rey?”

She poked her head out the master door. “In here.”

Rose scurried over, all the while looking wide-eyed around the space. “Is the President here?” She handed over the garment bag.

“No, he’s on a run.”

Rose just blinked at her a second. “Sooo… Are we going to talk about this?”

“Nope.”

“Well, at least you’re honest,” she said, digging into her tote bag. “Here. You’re lucky I’m nice and grabbed you fresh undies, too. Not that you deserve it.”

It was a rather racy lace thong that Rose handed over, but Rey wasn’t about to comment on her choice of undergarments. 

“Thanks, Rose. I mean it. You are saving me.” 

“Oh, I know,” she said, passing Rey a pair of sensible heels. “And you know that this isn’t over, right?”

Rey had known Rose for going on four years now, and she’d never, ever let a thing go in that entire time. “Oh, I know. See you downstairs?”

Rose just shook her head, a wry smile on her face. “See you downstairs, Chief.”

Rey didn’t wait for Rose to leave the resident before closing the door and getting to work. She had wanted to be in the office first thing on this the first day of the Dameron Administration, and now, she’d be lucky if she even made it before her assistant. 

Rose had chosen the perfect suit, dark and demure and a ridiculous splurge she’d made after they finally got the news on election night. It was the kind of thing she’d always imagined herself wearing as a little girl when she’d dreamed of being President.

She sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. This was probably as close as she’d get, so she’d better make it count.

Her hair was a disaster thanks to the night’s activities, hairspray and knots combining to make pulling Poe’s brush through it almost impossible. But she managed to wrangle it into a passable bun, securing the strands with a rubber band she scrounged up in the kitchen. One last pass in the mirror and she deemed herself presentable enough to head to the office. Thankfully she’d left her makeup bag on her desk.

Gathering her things, she headed out of the bedroom and down towards the passage that led to the working areas of the White House, leaving last night’s gown behind. Poe could have it sent to her later. 

The West Wing was abuzz with activity, those first day of school jitters palpable wherever she went. Another thing that followed her through the halls? Silence. Conversations cut off left, right, and center as she passed. For a second, she panicked that they’d all heard or seen what had gone on last night, but she realized quickly that wasn’t the case at all. She was the boss here. It was respect in their eyes as she passed by, nodding her head in acknowledgement. And they were all just a little afraid of her.

That she could work with.

She made it to her office without incident, thankfully beating her assistant by enough time to put on her face in relative privacy.

The morning passed in the kind of blur she’d only dreamed about. Meetings with her staff. Greeting the press. Finalizing a few things for Poe - er, President Dameron - to look at during their meeting.

In no time at all, her assistant was tapping gently at the door. 

“Come in!” called out Rey, completely engrossed in the document she was reading. Some report about a situation at the border detention centers they were about to dissolve. 

Kaydel Connix’s head appeared in the door. “Miss Skywalker, it’s time for your meeting with the President.”

Rey smiled. “Thanks, Kay. I’m leaving now.”

Her heart thundered with each step as she made her way toward the Oval. It didn’t matter that she’d just seen Poe that morning or that they’d worked together for years now regardless of their extra curricular activities. This was the Presidency of the United States, not some little governorship. There needed to be a separation of the personal and the professional. Starting right now.

Rey smiled and waved at Ms. D’Acy, Poe’s admin for the last four or so years. “Is he ready for me?”

“Of course. You can head on in.”

There was a knowing smile on her face, and Rey could never tell if she was just always that happy or if she actually knew there was something going on. Rey put her money on the latter.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to the Oval Office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So are you ready to embark on President Dameron's first 100 days in office? I know I am.
> 
> A quick end note: I'm going to hold off starting up one of my usual posting schedules for this one (twice a week) and just commit to posting a chapter every Monday for the time being. I have a LOT of WIPs right now, and I'm trying to figure out how to balance all of them. Once I have a little more of this written (and a clearer picture on the rest), I'll probably bump it up to twice a week.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey come to a realization as tempers erupt in the Oval Office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are going to murder me.

The space was completely transformed, the garish golds and clashing creams of last night replaced with a deep, federal blue. The furniture had been swapped out for much less tacky versions, Poe obviously going with a mid-century modern vibe to counteract the new money rich of the last President. Then again, Rey shouldn’t have been surprised. She knew he had good taste; she had an entire jewelry box to prove it. 

Speaking of Poe, he was sitting on one of the couches across from Finn, their heads together over some document. As soon as the door opened, Poe’s head shot up.

“Rey, come in, come in.” He waved her over, a ridiculous smile on his face. “We’re just getting a head start on the State of the Union.”

Her face heated at the casual way he addressed her. This was not off to an auspicious start. “Of course, Mr. President.”

Poe narrowed his eyes for a second, but his face cleared almost instantly, giving her one final look before going back to the task at hand. 

“Hey, Rey,” said Finn, completely oblivious to the strange simmering tension in the room. “Do you want to weigh in here? We can’t figure out the wording in this one part.”

Rey made her way over to the couch, dropping down next to Finn. “Of course.”

It took a bit, but after a few minutes they were finally satisfied with the outcome, Finn gathering the stack of marked-up papers. “I’m gonna get these changes made, send it to the fact checkers, and then get you the next draft.”

“Thanks, Finn.”

“No problem, Poe,” he said, giving Poe a wink and a fist bump. “It’s kind of my job.” He turned to Rey. “You want me to copy you on this?”

“Please. And thanks, Finn.”

“Like I said, it’s my job.” And with a final flourish he was up and out the door, leaving Poe and Rey to the crushing silence of the Oval.

But not for long.

“What was that?” snapped Rey, as soon as she thought Finn was out of earshot.

For his part, Poe only looked confused. “What was what?”

“You can’t just call us Finn or Rey.”

“I can’t use your names?” He wasn’t being a smart ass, he just looked genuinely bewildered.

“No! And Finn shouldn’t be calling you Poe, either. It’s Mr. President or President Dameron.”

“Wait a second, you’re actually telling me that I have to make my best and oldest friend address me by my title and I can’t call my girlfriend by her first name.”

Even though they were completely alone, Rey’s face heated. “In the Oval Office? Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,  _ Mr. President _ .”

“Why does that sound like a curse word when you say it?”

“This isn’t funny..”

“Oh really? Cause I think it’s hilarious. Please explain to me why - in the privacy of my own office - that I can’t allow my closest friends and advisors to address me by my first name?”

“Because that’s not how it’s done!” she practically shouted, losing her temper once and for all. Good god, she was actually yelling at the President of the United States. Again. This was becoming a problem. “We’re not in Yavin anymore. There are rules of decorum here.”

He actually had the audacity to roll his eyes at her. “Really? After the last guy, you really want to go there?”

“That’s exactly why I want to go there!” Her chest heaved slightly as she finished, Poe’s normally warm eyes darkening in response. 

So they sat across from each other, locked in a silent standoff. She could practically feel his gaze on her skin, boring through to her very soul. Oh, no. She recognized that look. 

Poe cocked his head at her. “This isn’t about decorum or who calls me what, is it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she spat in response. That man was too observant for his own good. “Of course it’s about decorum.”

“No, it’s not.” He got up, crossed over to her side, and sat down next to her. “You watched the news.” 

He took her silence as assent.

“Who broke it? Fox?” She shook her head. “MSNBC? CNN?” His face fell into dread. “Oh, no, not OANN? Come on don’t leave me hanging here.”

Rey took a deep breath before delivering the blow. “None of the above.”

“None of the above?” His face scrunched up in confusion. “Then who was it?”

“No one. There wasn’t a single mention on any of the top shows.”

There was silence as she watched the news sink in, holding her breath for Poe’s reaction. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Poe whooped in triumph a second later.

He was on his feet in an instant, pulling her up and into a hug before she could even react.

“Holy shit, we did it! It’s over.” Then, finally noticing her reticence, he said, “Wait a second, why aren’t you celebrating? We made it through, no scandal.”

Rey deftly stepped out of his arms. Yet another breach of protocol to add to the list. “Mr. President, the story didn’t break.” She made sure to emphasize the words carefully so they finally sunk in.

His face fell, arms dropping a breath later. “So, nobody knows?”

“As far as I can tell.” She allowed herself a tiny smile. “Well, except Rose. But that doesn’t have anything to do with last night.”

Poe huffed out a laugh. “Do I want to know?”

“Probably not.”

“Ok, but I still don’t get why you look like someone died.” He ran a hand through his hair, the curls sticking up slightly. It was such a comforting, normal gesture, that Rey’s chest gave a little squeeze. “The story didn’t break. Isn’t that good news?”

How to explain this to the man she loved, who also happened to be the newly minted leader of the free world? “Because every minute that we keep it under wraps, the story grows. It becomes a bigger scandal. You remember what happened to 42.”

Poe, who at some point over the last minute or so had started to pace, stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes sad as they sought hers. “You got cold feet.”

God, there were times when she hated how well he knew her. This was one of those times.

“Mr. President, we have to think about the op-”

“No,” he snapped, cutting her off. She recognized that look. It was the one he’d had at the third debate just before he’d gone in for the kill. For the first time that morning, he looked every inch the President of the United States. “Don’t start talking about the optics. Say it like it is. We got away with it, and now you have cold feet about coming clean.”

But for all her talk of decorum and protocols, she was still Rey Skywalker, heir to that infamous Skywalker temper. And she was not about to let a man, even one who happened to be the President (and her boyfriend), speak to her in that way. 

“You are actually standing there with a straight face and calling this cold feet, when we both know who is going to bear the brunt of this when it eventually comes out?”

“Oh here we go, Rey the martyr.” He waved her off with a gesture so dismissive, she almost throttled him. “This would affect just as much as it does you!”

“You really believe that, don’t you?” She laughed, the sound flat and bitter to her ears. “Oh sure, there’ll be some hemming and hawing about whether you’re fit for duty, and probably a couple of borderline racist remarks from one or both of the Fox wonder twins, but sooner or later you’ll get a boys will be boys and all will be forgiven. Then, it becomes my turn.”

But Poe wasn’t having it. “Oh, please. I’m the President of the goddamned United States! This won’t be gone in one news cycle!” His voice was loud enough to carry, even with them standing mere feet apart. 

Sure, they’d had their disagreements before. Plenty of rows behind closed doors, after hours. But never before had their personal and professional lives blended so fully that they ended up in a shouting match on government property. And that wasn’t even taking into account the Oval Office of it all.

Yet, Rey found that in that moment, she didn’t give a flying fuck.

“You wanna bet? You’ll get a pass, and I’ll get slutshamed. There’s no boys will be boys for a woman in power. There’s whore and bitch and gold digger and a panel of five white men on Fox debating how I slept my way to the top. They’ll spend entire episodes discussing my sex life, every partner I’ve ever had dragged in front of the cameras for their fifteen minutes of fame.”

Her voice broke on that last word, and just a little of the fire in Poe’s eyes went out.

“I’m the first woman to hold this position in an administration, and if this breaks, I will be the last for at least another three terms. Probably more. If one of us is a shameless slut, so is every other woman in the world.”

When she finally finished, she was out of breath, her chest heaving like she’d just run a marathon.

Before Poe could respond, there was a polite but sharp knock at the door. 

“Yes!” They both snapped at once, and a second later Ms. D’Acy’s head popped into the room.

“Sorry to bother you,” she said, looking from one to the other. There was a sharp look about her eyes, like she knew exactly what had been going on in here. Which was fair. Her desk was right outside the door. “But I wanted to let you know that the rest of the crew is here for the 10am meeting. In the waiting room.”

Rey had to admire her tact. That was definitely the most gracious way she’d ever been told to shut the fuck up in front of the guests. Her face heated as she looked anywhere but at the door.

“We’ll just need five more minutes, Ms. D’Acy. Thanks.”

“Of course, sir.” She closed the door with a final click behind her, plunging them back into uneasy silence.

The vein on Poe’s forehead was pulsing in time with what she suspected was his heartbeat, jaw set and rigid. He took one breath and then another before he seemed to deflate before her eyes, the anger apparently leaving him in a rush. When he met her eyes, his face was a mask of regret, filled with the knowledge of what he had to do next.

“This isn’t going to work, is it?” Defeat laced every word, his voice soft even in the silence of the room.

Rey shook her head, swallowing down a swell of emotion. “No.”

“You tried to tell me, didn’t you?” Poe huffed out a laugh, not quite meeting her eyes.

“But you never listen,” she finished for him, her sad smile hopefully doing something to soften the blow. 

Instinctively, Poe reached for her hands, brushing a thumb over the delicate nubs of her knuckles. It was a familiar gesture, one that Poe had made countless times over the years. He was a tactile man, and though it had taken reserved, skittish Rey years to get used to, it was now such second nature to her that she craved it almost as much as he did.

“How am I going to do this without you?” he whispered, the steady motion of his thumb grounding her.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be by your side every step of the way, just like we planned. We just need to stick to the politics for a bit.”

“Eight years.” He said it like it was a death sentence. 

And maybe it was. Eight years was a long time to be apart. What if one of them fell for someone else? When they’d talk about this - many moons ago - they hadn’t figured out the logistics, had never settled on any concrete rules. Would they see other people? Would they live like monks or nuns? 

“Or,” she said, and Poe’s head shot up. “We could reassess at the end of this term.”

“Reassess?” There was hope in his voice, and more in those molten chocolate eyes. Enough to threaten to break her resolve.

“Yeah.” She was making this up as she went along. And didn’t really care. “Maybe, rather than eight years, we wait four and at the end of your first term, if you win a second, we reassess. See if we can try this again. Out in the open.”

“Four years.” This time, his words sounded like hope. “Just four years.”

It was still a long time. And a whole hell of a lot could happen to them between now and then, but Rey had to agree. Four years sounded a lot like hope.

“We can do this. We’ll be so busy, we won’t even notice the time passing.”

“Oh believe me, I’ll notice.” Poe gave her a sad little smile, leaning forward so their foreheads touched. “But, I can survive four years.”

“We’ve survived longer.”

Poe sighed, his breath mingling with her own on her lips. “Yes, we have.” 

There was a pause in conversation, but neither party made a move to separate, even as they both had to realize that their five minutes was ticking down. In fact, Poe seemed intent on doubling down on whatever was happening here between them, bringing a hand up to her cheek, his voice low when he spoke.

“If I’d have known that was the last time, I’d have taken my time with you last night.”

Her laugh came out as a half-sob. “We christened half the rooms in the residence.”

“Only the second floor. Still have the first and the third.”

“Poe…”

“Yes, I know. Four years.” He took a breath, steeling himself for something. Which turned out to be a question. “Can I kiss you?”

He always asked, never assuming. Especially when they were trying to make big decisions like this. It was one of the many things she loved about this man. It also made it that much harder to give her current answer.

“No.” 

She wanted to, oh how she wanted to let herself get lost in him just one more time. But she could pinpoint the moment her temporary insanity set in last night, and it was no doubt tied to that kiss.

“Fair enough,” he said, dropping his hand. Taking a step back. Fixing his face so the disappointment didn’t show so prominently on his features. Already, Rey found herself regretting the decision. Which probably meant it was the right one. “Do you need a minute?”

God, he had to be perfect at the worst possible moment, didn’t he? There was honest to god concern in his eyes as he waited for her answer, even when she’d turned him down just seconds before. 

She shook her head. “No, I’m ready.”

“Then shall we?” He attempted a smile, but it fell flat, the normally easy expression not reaching his eyes.

Rey took a deep breath, turning her attention to the real task at hand. The first 100 days. The agenda. The stuff that in the scheme of things actually mattered. “We shall.”

With a nod, Poe crossed over to the door where the rest of their colleagues were waiting, took an audible breath, and opened the door. “Ok, sorry for that delay. Are we ready to change the world, folks?”

Rey allowed herself a small smile. Time to get to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I profusely apologize, but me being me, I needed to break things down to build it back up again. From here on out, you can expect all the pining and longing looks, along with some slip ups and sneaking around along the way. Not to mention the political drama of Poe's first 100 days as President. I hope you're still along for the ride of this secret relationship/forbidden love, cause it's gonna be a wild one.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Day 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey hits a roadblock and finds herself turning to the one person she shouldn't. Later, when cornered, Rey comes clean to a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I am shameless. I am a firm believer in giving the people what they want, and that appears to be more of this story. The amazing comments and flailing and love for this story have inspired me so much, I now have enough to update this twice a week. 
> 
> This was the chapter where I feel like I finally hit my stride (it's also giant, sorry) and figured out the shape of this thing. I dropped some real gems into this one and I'm dying for a little reaction, so please feel free to flail away in the comments.
> 
> It's gonna be a ride.

It turned out that getting to work was easier said than done.

Rey had been in government long enough to know how to play the game. Sure, everyone talked a big talk - they needed to cater to their base after all - but at the end of the day, there were always people willing to play ball. 

Of fucking course the Senate Majority Leader was an absolute twat.

He. Would. Not. Work. With. Them.

Like, not even a little. 

She should have known. Even with the last guy in office - one of his own - he’d had a stack of legislation that he refused to even bring up on the floor, taking pride as it grew taller and taller throughout the administration. Of course he wouldn’t deal with them.

Rey had just come from yet another fruitless meeting with Armitage Hux himself, the self aggrandizing bastard. He hadn’t even pretended to listen to her on the student debt proposal, playing on his phone as she attempted to make their case.

“Um, Majority Leader Hux?” she said, when she realized she’d been going on for a full five minutes without so much as a word from him. “Do you need me to repeat that figure?”

The man in front of her - pasty, ginger, lean - finally looked up from his phone, tipping that haughty, pointed face to meet her eyes. “No need.”

Rey blinked in disbelief. She’d just rattled off a fairly complicated string of numbers involving debt to income ratios and recent college graduates that there was zero chance he got while playing on his phone. Which he’d just gone back to doing.

And yet, Rey was undeterred. “Are you sure?” she asked, shifting her papers. “I know it’s a lot to take in all at once. I’d be happy to go over it again.” 

Across from her, Hux dropped his phone with a huff, an insouciant little smirk appearing on his face. 

“Listen Miss Skywalker, I like you,” he started, Rey bristling at both the patronizing tone and words. “It’s all very modern to have such an accomplished woman in your role, and I’m sure it plays very well with your base. I - for one - think it’s great.”

It felt like all the air had gone out of the room, a rushing in her ears as the surrealness of the moment sunk in.

“But you’re new here. So let me educate you.” He leaned forward, tenting his fingers on the desk. “I don’t need to hear the figures because this legislation will not be going forward.”

“Majority Leader Hux, with all do respect, we will be putting this forward to Congress. The President feels very strongly about this and we have the sponsorship.”

“Please, call me Armie in here. There’s no need for such formality. We’re going to get to know each other very well over the next few years. As such, I will tell you in no uncertain terms that if this crosses my desk in any official capacity, it will join the rest of my friends in the graveyard.” He very proudly gestured to the corner of his office, where ream after ream of paper stood stacked, each and every piece of legislation he’d refused to put on the Senate floor.

He smiled at her, Rey wanting nothing more than to wipe that shit-eating grin off his face. With her fist. “Are we on the same page now?”

Rey took a deep breath. And then another, attempting to calm herself enough to speak in anything but a string of curse words. 

“Thank you for your candor, Majority Leader,” she said, speaking through the fakest smile she’d ever put on her face. “I hear you loud and clear.”

“That’s excellent news, Rey,” he said, getting to his feet and sticking out a hand, an obvious dismissal. “I look forward to working with you and your boss.”

Rey took his limp, damp hand firmly, not backing down even when he winced a little at her grip. “Likewise,” she lied through her teeth. “And please, call me Ms. Skywalker.”

That smug mask dropped for a split second at that, showing her the hatred and resentment beneath. But it was back up in the next second when he answered, “Of course.”

She resisted the urge to wipe her hand on her skirt until she was out of his office and halfway down the hall, making her way back to the waiting car as quickly as her long legs would take her. The anger didn’t ebb as she seethed all the way back to the White House, leg bouncing in the back of the car.

That fucker. She’d actually gone to him as a courtesy, when she was well within her rights to meet him in her own office. And it had all been a power play to show her how truly powerless she was.

That thought carried her from the car, through security, and all the way to Ms. D’Acy’s desk outside the Oval Office. 

“Is he in?” she asked the older woman, trying not to snap. She was moderately successful.

Though for her part, Ms. D’Acy remained as unflappable as ever. God bless that woman. “He is. You can head in.”

Rey knocked twice, not bothering to wait for Poe’s answer to storm in.

“That pencil-dicked little fucker!” she said to no one in particular, not bothering to check if Poe was alone first. Thankfully he was. She dropped on to one of the couches. “I cannot believe I dragged my ass all the way over to the fucking Russell building, just to be mansplained basic politics.”

Poe sat behind the resolute desk, the cheaters he’d successfully hid from the American people so far (despite Rey’s insistence they didn’t make him look old) perched on his nose. He took the glasses off, a wry smile playing across his lips. “Good morning, Ms. Skywalker. Please come in.”

Her face heated under the gentle admonishment. Right, she couldn’t do this anymore. She shouldn’t have ever done this in the first place. For all her talk of decorum and lines not to be crossed, here she was, running to her boyfriend the second things got hard.

Nope. Ex-boyfriend.

Her eyes met Poe’s from across the room, soft and understanding in the morning light. “Shit.”

He smiled, the crinkles she so loved fanning out from his eyes. “Shit, indeed.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, her earlier anger evaporating. “I completely forgot myself.”

He let out a little chuckle as he got to feet, stretching out his back a little. Absently, she wondered if it was bothering him again. “It’s okay. You know I don’t mind.”

“Yeah, but I’m the one who insisted we call this, and here I am running to you first chance I got.” She leaned over, putting her head in her hands. “This is…”

“Hard?” There was a sad edge to that word that she wasn’t quite ready to deal with.

“I was gonna go with weird, but that works, too.”

He crossed the room and dropped onto the couch next to her. She probably would have preferred if he’d chosen the seat opposite, where she wouldn’t be able to smell that mix of soap and cologne that was inexorably Poe, but she wasn’t exactly in a position to talk here.

“So what brought you here? Obviously something got under your skin.”

She took a deep breath, hating to even admit it. That she’d been embarrassed by a no-talent career politician the very first time she sat down to the table. She was better than that. But here they were.

“I met with Senate Majority Leader Hux this morning.”

A smile spread across Poe’s face. “Ah, so that’s the pencil-dicked fucker.”

“I may regret my choice of words.”

“I find them to be both quite accurate and charming. Continue.”

Rey found herself tamping down a smile as she explained, “It’s the student debt bill. He’s going to put it in the graveyard.”

“Well, fuck.” Poe scrubbed a hand over his face. “Of course he is. Wouldn’t want me to actually accomplish anything in my first 100 days. Might make his whole party look bad.”

“Mr. President.” Her voice was grave. “Without Hux…”

“...We don’t have the votes,” he finished, dropping back against the back of the couch. 

It was that old familiar feeling creeping in, the rightness that cloaked everything when they were working together and firing on all cylinders. They were  _ good _ at this. And always had been. That’s the reason they were sitting in the Oval Office. The reason they had put their lives on hold to serve their country. 

Sometimes, she just needed a little reminder.

“So, what does he want?” asked Poe, breaking her out of her little epiphany. 

“What do you mean? He wants to kill your legislation.”

“With people like him, there’s always a price.” His gaze on her was direct, unwavering. “Something he wants more than just to make me lose.”

Oh. Why hadn’t she thought of that? 

Politics at this level were like a whole different ball game. Nothing she’d done thus far had prepared her for this. There was no denying that she was out of her depth. She needed to up her game and fast if she wanted to play with the big boys, so to speak.

But she couldn’t admit that to Poe. So, she went with the next best option: humor.

“Are you sure? He might just be that petty.”

Poe laughed, the crinkle out in full force. “I’m sure. When’s your next meeting with him?”

“Next Wednesday.” And this time, she would not be making the mistake of meeting with him on his own turf. He’d come to her office like everyone else. Two could play that game.

“Good. Start probing what his agenda is, and we can go from there.” Rey was infinitely grateful that he didn’t try to take over like most men would. Poe had always given her the room to fly or fall, for better or worse, never one to step on toes or move in on a project. 

“What if it’s something we’re not willing to do?” she asked, knowing that dollars to donuts that’s exactly what would happen. Hux’s agenda was unsavory at best, downright terrifying at worst.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, Poe’s face darkening just enough to tell Rey that he knew exactly who would be on the other side.

“Well, then we decide how far into the dark side we’re willing to go.” Another knock rang through the office, much sharper this time. Poe’s eyes narrowed. “That would be my 11 o’clock.”

Rey’s brows raised of their own accord. She hadn’t realized it was so late. Having a copy of his schedule, she now also realized who was waiting. “I’m just going to sneak out the back door…”

“Not so fast,” he said, stopping her before she could get too far. “If I have to meet with him, then so should you.”

“You are really never going to forgive me for making him your running mate, are you?”

“Nope. I don’t care if he’s your aunt’s kid and heir to a fucking political dynasty or that we needed his base on the ticket, Ben Solo is an absolute prick.”

“Vice President Ben Solo,” she corrected, trying and failing to hide a smirk.

“Don’t remind me.”

There was another knock at the door, sharp and rude and very impatient now that she knew who it belonged to. 

“You’d better get that. He sounds a little anxious to get in here.” There was no hiding the smile now, even with the prospect of having to deal with her idiot cousin on the horizon.

Poe gave her his best angry eyes. “You’d think I was keeping the president waiting and not the other fucking way around.”

“Go,” she said, laughing for real this time as she gently pushed him toward the door. “Before he breaks down the door. I’ll keep you company.”

“It’s the least you could do,” he muttered before putting on his best fake smile and opening the door. “Ben! Come on in. Hope you weren’t waiting too long.”

Rey attempted to hide her snort with a cough.

Three hours later, Rey was safely ensconced in her office, dealing with the day to day of running the country.

Ben had been none too pleased to see her when he entered the oval, obviously expecting to have a private audience with the President and coming up short. It had almost been worth having to deal with his shitty self just to see that first look on his face. Almost.

But thankfully Ben Solo and his madness were now behind, and with a little luck she wouldn’t have to deal with him for another month or so. Poe had bestowed on him a fact-finding task force, a busywork assignment if she’d ever heard one, but at least it would keep him out of their hair for a while.

There was a knock at her door, Rey calling out, “Come in!” without a second thought.

She looked up to find Rose standing in her door, a shit-eating grin on her face. “She lives. I was starting to worry that you were avoiding me.” 

Well, shit. 

Truth be told, Rey had been avoiding her, ever since that very first day and the walk of shame associated with it. Though she knew it couldn’t last forever, she’d done pretty well these last ten days. Naturally, it was when she’d been preoccupied with thoughts of stupid Ben Solo when she let her guard down.

“Never,” lied Rey deftly, thankful for the years and years of practice in her field for helping her sound convincing. “Come in. What can I help you with?”

Rey crossed her fingers and hoped for something simple. Perhaps a war had broken out and Rose needed a comment. Or maybe someone had tested a nuke. A dead world leader? Anything but what she knew Rose was here to talk about.

Naturally, that hope proved futile.

“So, the morning after the inauguration.”

“Don’t you have a briefing you need to be at?” As Press Secretary, Rose hosted the daily briefing - and kicked ass doing it.

“I’ve got 10 minutes, and you know it. So, day after the inauguration.”

“Yes, what about it?” she asked lightly, using some of the tricks she’d learned over the years from the woman in front of her. 

“You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?”

Play dumb, deflect, deny, deny, deny. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Rose fixed her with one of those signature looks that sent nosy press running. Right, it would do well to remember who the master was here. “Did you or did you not sleep with the President the night of the inauguration?” 

Technically, it had gone down the morning after, but Rey could recognize a defeat when it was staring her in the face. She sighed.

“Yes.”

There was a moment of silence while that single word sunk in before Rose let out an unholy shriek. 

“Oh my GOD! I need all of the details. Was it good? Cause he looks like he’d make it good.”

“Rose…”

“Like, really good. Like, goes down on you for hours good. He did, didn’t he? He went down on you for hours.”

“ _ Rose. _ ”

“Hold on, what’s he packing? Big, little, in between? He’s kind of short, but come on, we all know there’s no real correlation.”

“ROSE!”

Rose finally cut off her babbling, blinking in surprise at Rey’s outburst. “Geez, I’m just trying to have a little fun. We’re friends. Or at least, I thought we are.”

Logically, she knew Rose was just trying to lay the guilt on her to get her to talk. Unfortunately it was working, though not because of any of Rose’s best efforts. No, she’d been holding on to this secret for damn near six years at this point, and she wanted to talk about it. She wanted to tell someone. So, she did.

“We are, Rose. It’s just…” she trailed off, swallowing thickly as she tried to find the words for what she wanted to say. “It’s not just fun.”

“Oh, that bad of a one-night stand?”

“No, it was amazing.” Rey chuckled at the ridiculously wide smile on Rose’s face. “It just wasn’t a one-night stand.”

Across from her, Rose sat frozen, the remains of that smile stuck on her face. Rey took her silence as an encouragement to go on.

“We’ve been together since the night he won the governorship.”

That appeared to rouse Rose from her stupor. “WHAT.”

So Rey started from the beginning.

_ As she looked up at the TV in their campaign headquarters, Rey realized she was tired. Not the normal kind of tired, that easy one that could be cured with a good night’s sleep, but the other type. The bone-deep, dead on your feet, need to go home and sleep for a fucking week type of tired. Existentially tired. _

_ It had been the longest six months of her life. Whatever she’d been expecting when she graduated in May and immediately found an opening as a campaign associate for a young, scrappy new gubernatorial candidate she’d never heard of, it certainly wasn’t grueling months on the campaign trail, more take-out dinners than she could count, or you know, possibly falling in love with said gubernatorial candidate. _

_ Poe Dameron. Young, idealistic, progressive, he was everything she could have hoped for in a candidate back when she’d been in school, dreaming of all the ways she was going to change the world for the better. Not to mention the man was on fire.  _

_ With those warm, caramel eyes and dark, curly hair, if Rey had a type, it would be him. Though he wasn’t much taller than her, he had a presence, one that made him appear a lot bigger than he actually was. Not to mention that he was kind and caring and somehow had chemistry with every human on the planet (and more than a few inanimate objects, if she was being honest). _

_ Yeah, so Rey was maybe, definitely in love with him.  _

_ Looking out of the corner of her eye, she snuck a look at Poe’s face next to her, the stress and nerves of the evening showing plainly on his expression. Only a second passed before those warm, dark eyes connected with her own, his face clearing as he gave her a knowing smile. _

_ She smiled back. At least the feeling was mutual. _

_ It had started innocently enough. Turned out, they were both workaholics, the two of them in the main campaign office far later than their compatriots night after night. First it was combining food orders. Then it was eating those orders together. Talking for hours. Whispered insistence that they couldn’t do this. Finally, the months of camaraderie and attraction hit a breaking point last night while they were finalizing the concession and victory speeches. He kissed her. Or she kissed him. Either way, they had kissed. And now, whatever this simmering tension between them was, seemed ready to boil over. _

_ All eyes were on the TV above their heads as another news bulletin came through. It felt like all night they’d been waiting on Massassi county. Of course it had to come down to Massassi County, a very conservative part of the state that Poe had no real hope of winning. It was steeped in tradition, and to be honest, a little racist, so of course Poe wouldn’t be taking the county. Not for lack of trying though, their campaign spending way more time and money than they should have working with local leaders to try to flip the area. And now, it seemed the margin there would be the deciding factor on whether or not Poe would be governor. If he lost by a lot, they’d all be looking for jobs in the morning. And if he only lost by a little, well, Rey couldn’t even allow herself to hope like that. _

_ “We have another update on the governor’s race,” said the news anchor, his hair perfectly done and tie perfectly pressed. She wished a single one of them looked as put together, but it was nothing but stress and wrinkles in Dameron campaign war room. “This time in Massassi county.” _

_ “Shh, shh, somebody turn it up!” shouted one of the other aides, interns going scrambling for a remote. _

_ So it was loud and clear when the anchor announced, “In a surprise turn, Poe Dameron has taken the lead in Massassi county. I’m getting word that we’ve seen enough. I can now call the race for Poe Dameron as our next governor.” _

_ If he had anything else to say about it, his words were swallowed by the cheer that went up in the ballroom they’d taken over. There were hugs all around as the celebration began, Rey embracing an intern and a fellow staffer before she found herself face to face with the candidate himself. _

_ There were honest to god tears in his eyes when they latched on to hers, Rey finding herself a little misty in the moment. “You did it,” she said, hesitating long past when it would have been acceptable to hug him. _

_ “No,” he answered with a little shake of his head, smile so wide that a web of tiny crinkles fanned out from the corner of either eye. “We did it.” _

_ In that moment, the spell broke and there was something electric in the air as Poe pulled her into his arms, an inevitability that would not be denied. Their eyes kept connecting throughout the rest of the night - during the concession call, the popping of champagne, even Poe’s little speech (that was picked up by 10 local stations!). The party lasted well into the night, and when the cameras left and the lights started to go down, it felt like fate itself when she followed him to his room, letting him undress her piece by piece until he laid her back on the bed and showed her how truly thankful he was. _

“Please tell me you are not going to stop at the best part!” cried Rose, crossing her arms over her chest in Rey’s office.

Rey gave her A Look. “I think we can both fill in the blanks of what happened next.”

“Yes, but I wanted details, not blanks.” Rey rolled her eyes at her friend. “Jesus, so you’ve been together since Yavin.”

She got quiet, a little introspective for a second. Rey could almost see the wheels turning.

“Go on, ask whatever’s on your mind.”

“Why not just come out with it? You guys have been together for what? Five years? Why not just get married.”

“Well, when he took office it was new. We didn’t necessarily want people in our business. Plus, I technically worked for him. Not to mention the whole staffer-politician thing that we both wanted to avoid. 

“By the time we knew this was for real, it was too late to come out without it being an even bigger scandal. Then, we decided to go for the White House.”

“So you’re just going to keep sneaking around until he’s out?”

“Not exactly.” It still felt surreal to say any of this out loud, but most of all this. “The night of the inauguration was it. We’re done. At least, until this term is up.”

Rose sat in stunned silence for a moment. 

As that moment stretched, Rey became more and more nervous, her leg bouncing under her desk. “Come on, say something.” It was rare indeed that one caught Rose Tico speechless.

“This has been a ride,” she finally said, half laughing as she got to her feet. “Holy shit. I wish I didn’t have to go to the briefing.”

“Rose, you can’t say a word to anyone. No one knows.”

“Wait, not even Finn?”

Rey tried not to roll her eyes. Rose and Finn had been at each other’s throats for nearly all of a three-year rivalry, bickering about everything from what should be to policy to the correct color tie to wear during a speech. Though they claimed they couldn’t stand each other, Rey found that every room they left reeked of unresolved sexual tension. 

“No. Not even Finn.”

“Ha!” proclaimed Rose, victorious for the moment. It dawned on her a second later. “Damnit, I can’t even hold this over his head!”

Rey chuckled at the petulant look on her face. She looked so sad as she reached for the door that Rey took pity on her. “Hey, Rose.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s like a third leg.”

Rose sighed happily. “I knew it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you on Monday!


	5. Day 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the State of the Union and the Chief of Staff's job is never done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Let's start it off with a little President!Poe. 
> 
> I honestly continue to be overwhelmed by the amazing response to this fic. Which has translated into 10 completed chapters so far. Thank you, thank you, thank you for providing all this inspiration. I've got a lot of fun planned for this one.
> 
> Huge shout out the amazing folks on the discord for spending an afternoon brainstorming Secret Service codenames with me and to [MASD_1138](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MASD_1138/pseuds/MASD_1138) in particular whose suggestion sparked the final product. Thanks for putting up with my ridiculous questions.
> 
> All that's left is the chapter itself. Enjoy!

Rey’s leg bounced under the table at dinner. 

She’d been invited to the annual private dinner at the residence, where the President would host a few of the highest ranking members of Congress before they all headed over to the Capitol for the State of the Union. 

The food was of course amazing - some kind of a grass fed beef from Nebraska - and the wine flowed freely even as the members of opposite sides attempted to put aside their differences for one evening. With shop talk off the table - a rule laid down by Poe - the conversation was stilted. Though they certainly gave it their all.

Hux and Leia were seated on either side of Poe as the respective leaders of the Senate and House, Rey grateful to be seated next to Poe’s dad, Kes at the opposite end. She and Hux had enjoyed another fruitless meeting and were no closer to coming to an agreement than before. Maybe Poe would have more luck bending his ear after this little dog and pony show.

“Can you believe it, Rey?” asked Kes next to her, sounding downright giddy. “We’re actually eating dinner in the White House.”

Rey smiled, infinitely able to relate. Though they’d been here almost two weeks now, the novelty had yet to wear off. 

“I can’t, Mr. Dameron. I really can’t.”

“Poe put me in the Lincoln Bedroom for the night,” he continued, taking another bite of food.

She bit back a smirk. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah. It’s so beautiful. Have you been in there, yet?”

Rey’s mind flashed to the one and only time she’d been in the bedroom. Poe’s hands on her bare skin. Lips trailing her spine. Her knuckles white against the mantle as Poe took her from behind.

She cleared her throat. “Yes, yes I have.”

He smiled at her before turning back to his dinner, the expression so reminiscent of his son that something twisted in the vicinity of Rey’s heart.

Turned out, it was a lot harder staying away than she’d imagined. Though it probably didn’t help that they, you know, ran the country together.

Every meeting was filled with loaded looks and covert glances, one or both of them seeking the other out when things got tense or quiet or strained. There was a short hand between them, one that threatened to give away the game every time they used it. It was second nature, a habit forged over years of working (and sleeping) together. Without one, the other became a refuge, both Rey and Poe throwing themselves into the work to try to escape the loss.

It worked. Mostly.

“So, are you as excited for your first State of the Union as I am?” asked the woman on Rey’s other side, a junior Senator who had beat the incumbent in her seat with the kind of landslide that got you noticed. Jannah. Jannah Calrissian. “Lord knows, I am. Though let me tell you, having dinner with the President beforehand is doing nothing for my nerves.”

Rey smiled, taking another sip of her wine. It was a delightful red, something from the cellar that undoubtedly cost more than all the wine she’d ever bought combined. “I’d tell you it gets easier, but I’ve seen no such evidence thus far.”

“I honestly don’t know how you do it,” she whispered, leaning her head closer. “I’d never get any work done if my boss looked like that.” 

Rey followed her eyes to Poe, his dark curls artfully arranged on his forehead, that perfect amount of grey just peeking through. He looked downright impeccable in the dark suit and federal blue tie, the flag pin on his label catching the light every so often.

As if he could sense her gaze, he looked over, their eyes meeting across the table in a moment of pure electricity. Though Leia was still going on about something next to him, it seemed he only had eyes for her, tilting his head just slightly in acknowledgement before turning back to his conversation.

“Nope. I would never get a thing done,” sighed Jannah, bringing Rey back to the real world.

Rey picked up her glass, tilting it toward her new friend to clink. “Amen to that.”

Unfortunately for Rey, getting nothing done was not an option. Especially not that night. 

“Mr. President,” she murmured into his ear a half hour later. “I think we need to get going.”

“Ah, that’s our cue,” announced Poe to the group at large, the entire gathering getting to their feet when he did. “I believe the cars will be waiting at the South Portico.”

Poe waited until nervous chatter had started back up, to lean over to her, the sounds of leaving covering his voice. “Hey, I left my glasses on the table in the dressing room. Do you think...”

Rey smiled. That man would lose his head if it wasn’t attached. “Of course, Mr. President. I’ll be right back.”

She slipped out of the room unnoticed, making her way up the stairs to the second floor. Though she hadn’t had much reason to come here - since that first day, that is - it seemed that the layout was already burned into her brain. She was quite impressed with herself when she found the master bedroom on the first try. What she wasn’t expecting was to be attacked immediately upon entry.

Thank god it was only 24 pounds of First Corgi.

“Oh, Bee!” she said, dropping to her knees to give him a good rub. She could give a flying fuck about getting hair on her skirt. He gave a happy yip. “I’ve missed you, too. When did you get here, buddy?” 

Though she wasn’t expecting an answer, one came anyway. 

“Dad brought him.” Came a deep voice that was decidedly not Bee’s. Rey looked over her shoulder to find Poe standing in the entryway. “Figured it was about time to get a dog back in the White House.”

Bee absolutely preened under the attention, looking up at her with that goofy dog smile on his face. While most presidents had more dignified breeds - your retrievers and poodles and shepherds - Rey secretly loved that Poe had this chubby little awkward pup who tended to trip over his own short legs. Bee always brought a little levity when you needed it.

“Is this why you sent me up here?” she asked, unable to keep the smile off her face.

“I really did forget my glasses,” Poe said, putting his hands in his pockets. It was a good look. “But in all truth, I just wanted a moment with you to myself.”

She paused in her scratching long enough to earn a nudge from Bee. “Mr. President…”

“Nothing untoward, I swear.” Rey pretended that her heart didn’t sink a little at that. “I just… Can you believe that I’m actually a little nervous? Me?”

When she turned around, there was a self-deprecating little smile on his face, but she recognized the rest of the signs. The stiff way he held himself. The tension in his jaw. Even the way she could hear him jingling a couple of coins in his pocket. 

Cheerleader hadn’t been listed in the job description, but it only took one look at his face for her to know what she had to do.

“I actually can’t,” she said, getting to her feet and brushing off the dog hair. For his part, Poe chuckled, ducking his head a little. 

Poe was the most self-assured person she knew. He had an answer for every question, and even when he didn’t he could fake it with the best of them. Three debates, and he never once faltered, never once let the other guy get under his skin. But this, speaking to the electorate who got him here, laying out the agenda he’d set for them, this was what made him nervous.

He really was one of the good ones.

“What are you so worried about?” she asked, turning so she stood directly in front of him. “The tens of millions of viewers? There were way more people watching the inauguration speech.”

He snorted. “Is that your idea of helping? Because it might need some work.”

“No, really. What is it? Because we both know that you’ve never met a crowd that’s not eating out of your hand after five minutes.”

“I think you may be forgetting that rally in Texas.”

In all honesty, she may have blocked that day out of her memory. But that was besides the point.

“Well, thankfully, this is not Texas.” She stepped closer. “So what is it? That speech is flawless. Finn is an absolute poet, which we already knew. The policy you’re debuting is perfect. And the American people love you.”

“Half the American people love me,” he pointed out, as unhelpful as ever. But there was a slight smile on his face and that was something.

She reached up to straighten his tie, her hands lingering longer than strictly necessary. “Enough of the American people love you. At least, to get you here.”

“You know, I take that back. You might actually be helping.”

She smiled. “Is that so?” 

Having fixed the tie for as long as was reasonably possible, she went to bring down her hands, Poe stopping her. In the logical part of her brain, she knew she should pull away, but she didn’t so much as flinch as Poe rested his forehead against hers.

“It is.” He exhaled slowly, his breath mingling with hers on her lips. “You’ll be right there with me?”

“Always.”

Though they were on the clock, and all of the most important members of the legislature were in cars downstairs waiting for them, neither made a move to separate. Oh how she’d missed his touch. The way his palms scraped over her body. The feel of his lips on her neck. The press of his body on top of her. Warm. He’d always been so warm. And this was no exception.

She took a deep breath, savoring that soap and cologne scent that clung to him even here. Finally, her better angels prevailed.

“I’m gonna grab your glasses, and then we should go.”

Poe’s voice was soft when he answered, “Ok.”

It took everything she had to step back from the warmth of his arms, taking a deep breath as she forced herself to turn and walk into the dressing room. Bee followed her with his happy little waddle, completely oblivious to the tension in the room.

The glasses were right where he said they’d be, on the table, next to a rejected pair of cufflinks. 

When she stepped back into the room, Poe looked like he was gonna be sick. So much for the pep talk. But as soon as he saw her, he slapped an easy smile on his face, gratefully taking the glasses from her hands.

“Does this mean what I think it means?” she asked, leading them out into the hall and toward the stairs. 

Distantly, she registered the Secret Service closing in on them. “Lone Wolf is on the move,” one said into his wrist.

But Poe didn’t even seem to notice anymore. “And what do you think it means?”

“That you’re finally taking my advice and wearing these in public.”

He gave her a sideways glance. “I’m thinking about it.”

“The ladies will go wild. More than a few of the gentlemen as well.”

Poe threw back his head in laughter as they reached the portico. “That’s what I’m afraid of. I want to be remembered for my policy, not how hot I looked at the podium.”

Rey made a point of looking him up and down. “I’m afraid that ship has sailed, Mr. President.”

He was still laughing as he got into the limo, and as Rey waited to get in herself, she could have sworn she saw Hux’s gleaming green eyes staring at her from the car in front of them.

“The state of the union is strong. May god bless America and may god protect our troops.”

The standing ovation spread across both sides of the aisle as Poe finished his speech. It was flawless, just like she’d said, delivered with the kind of conviction and honesty that you couldn’t practice. Though they had practiced quite a bit. Even the parts in Spanish, a tradition they’d started on the campaign trail. Poe was the first Latinx president; they might as well use it. And the people truly ate it up.

Next to her she heard Kes sniff. 

“Everything ok?” she asked lightly, continuing to clap along with the rest of them. It seemed like this was going to go on for a while. Another good sign. She could only imagine the approval ratings on Monday.

Kes gave her a watery smile. “Yes, yes. It’s just… something else to hear a President of the United States say those words. Words in my language.” He turned back toward Poe and the podium. “The fact that it’s also my son that did it is just an added bonus.”

Rey’s heart gave a twist in her chest, a stark reminder that not everything was a political maneuver.

God, when had she grown so callous? Of course Poe giving parts of the State of the Union was more than just a ploy for ratings or approval. There were real people who for the first time got to see themselves in the President. That’s why they did this. Why he ran in the first place. And she’d do well to remember that.

How easy it was to lose sight of things in this place. How quickly she forgot.

She turned her own attention back to the front of the chamber. 

Leia was standing triumphantly behind Poe, the smile on her face beautific as she led the clapping by example. Next to her, her lurch of a son stood, quite obviously at her own urging, his rather apathetic claps punctuated by an eyeroll. 

Rey seethed. The Vice President was in the direct line of the camera and there was no way the folks at home missed that. And if they did by some miracle miss it, there was sure to be a friendly pundit on one of the cable news channels to point it out to them. 

Ben Solo would forever be her absolute last choice for running mate for someone as progressive and idealistic as Poe. He’d absolutely obliterated Poe at one of the early primary debates, and ran one of the nastiest smear campaigns Rey had ever seen. But he’d done well in the primaries. And his terrible, outlandish claims about everything from Poe’s birth certificate to the election process itself had gained an early following. They’d beat him in the end, but the damage was done and the party was severely divided. So much so, that if they wanted to win, they’d need to bring a healthy percentage of his base with them. 

It quite literally killed her to have to bow and scrape to her idiotic cousin, a man who had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth and done exactly nothing but be terrible with that privilege. The fact that he was related to the great Leia Organa-Solo in any way was still a mystery to her.

She sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now. But there was a very long and awkward talk in her future.

Finally, things had wound down and come to an end, everyone starting to file out of the chamber. There would be interviews and rebuttals on both sides, not to mention the official opposition response, but thankfully they would be long gone before they had to witness it.

After what felt like hours of shaking hands and making small talk with various congressmen and women, she finally found Poe alone outside the chamber. Well, as alone as he ever got with the Secret Service shadowing his every move.

“I guess all those nerves were for nothing,” she said by way of greeting.

He gave her a conspiratorial grin before pulling her into a spontaneous but bone crushing hug, his words murmured directly into his ear. “I almost threw up all over the podium.”

She laughed, the sound echoing through these hallowed halls. In the moment, she couldn’t even care that they were technically in public, not when this night had been such a stunning victory. “Well, you didn’t show it.” Her smile lingered even as she took a more sober tone. “You looked like you were born for this.” And it was the truth. He looked completely at home at the podium. There was no way anyone would get so much as a whiff of those nerves that had nearly sent him over the edge earlier.

One of Poe’s agents cleared his throat.

It was obviously some kind of pre-determined sign because Poe dropped his arms instantly and took a step back, Rey’s heart beating in her throat as she turned to find Senator Hux and the Vice President deep in conversation as they came down the hall. There was no telling how much - if anything - they had seen.

Not waiting to find out, Poe struck first. “Gentlemen, did you enjoy the speech?”

“It was very…” Hux exchanged a look with Ben. “Illuminating.” 

Rey was not impressed with his tone. Or the way Ben chuckled appreciatively at it. Since when were they friends, anyway? She dismissed her concern almost instantly. This was a good thing, something she could work with. But first things first. Time to have a friendly chat about camera faces.

She motioned her cousin forward. “Mr. Vice President, walk with me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you're thinking about this one so far.
> 
> Up next, we have some sexy bowtie tying and secret hand holding. See you on Wednesday!


	6. Day 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A state dinner brings up some old but not forgotten feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Increase pining to level 10.

Another day, another state dinner.

If you would have told Rey six months ago that something like greeting world leaders would become nothing more than another chore, she would have laughed at you. But here they were.

It seemed like every world leader was just lining up to meet the new President. Which hopefully boded well for Poe’s foreign policy agenda. But it made for some very long, tedious evenings.

Rey paused halfway through curling her hair. How insane had her life become that getting all dolled up and wearing a gown had become a chore?

“Ms. Skywalker?” 

Rey turned to find Kay poking her head in the office. She finished her last curl. “Yes?”

“I believe you asked me to tell you when it hit 6:30.”

“Oh, shit.” She looked down at her phone and sure enough, it was 6:31. So much for taking her time getting ready. “Thank you, Kay.”

“And one more thing. The President’s office just called. He was hoping you’d be up a little before the contingent arrives from Blair House.”

Of course he was. Rey sighed. “Thanks, Kay. Hey why don’t you take off for the evening?”

“Are you sure you won’t need anything?”

“Positive. Say hi to Beau for me.”

Kay smiled wide. “Will do.” And with that, she disappeared out the door, leaving Rey to finish getting ready.

Though she would have preferred to go to a salon like she’d originally planned, it seemed the work of the Chief of Staff was never done. So here she was, doing her hair and makeup in the tiny decorative mirror in her office. Maybe that’s why they’d always been men. 

She pondered that all the way to the residence, stopping first in the East Room to see how preparations were going before heading upstairs in search of Poe. Er, President Dameron.

That was the hardest part of all this, the wanting him. It turned out that you just couldn’t turn off feelings when it suited you. Go figure. 

“Mr. President,” she called out on the landing, the thick carpet swallowing the sound of her heels. At the sound of her voice, Bee was there in an instant, his stubby little tail wagging to beat the band. Never able to resist that face, she bent down and gave him a scratch behind the ears. “Good boy.”

“In here!”

Rey followed the sound of the voice all the way to the master, the room looking exactly the same as the last time she’d been in here. For someone who was decidedly not sleeping with the President (anymore), she sure ended up in his bedroom a lot.

She looked around the empty room. “Hello?” 

“There you are.” Poe’s voice was coming from the dressing room. “Could you give me a hand?”

Though she was a little wary of the request - what in god’s name could he need help with getting dressed - her feet carried her into the attached dressing area. 

Only to find Poe in front of one of the mirrors, struggling with his bowtie.

“This fucking thing.” He attempted to do the required loop, only to have one side come loose. “I can’t get it to stay.”

“Don’t you have a handsomely paid valet to that for you?”

Poe met her eyes in the mirror, a sheepish look on his face. “Yes, but…”

“But what?”

“But he tied it too tight and I was too embarrassed to say anything so I waited until he left and decided I could tie it myself. I mean, I’ve seen him do it enough times. I thought I had it down, but…” He gestured to the tie hanging loose around his neck.

Rey just shook her head and laughed. “Get over here.”

He complied immediately, standing before her in all his glory. 

She’d done this enough for him over the years - governors don’t get valets - that it was like second nature to her. 

It was more intimate than she’d remembered as her hands straightened out the tie around his neck, that soap and cologne smell completely surrounding her. Or maybe it was just that back when she used to do this for him, this didn’t feel intimate thanks to all their other pursuits. Either way, she took a deep breath and got to work.

Right side longer than the left, her hands lingering along the crisp lines of the tux. Poe closed his eyes. 

Cross over. She took her time, making sure things were just right. Poe took a deep breath, holding it second before he let it out.

Left side under right and up through the neck, Poe tilting his head back, exposing the freshly shaved skin of his neck, still a little pink from the razor. Knuckles grazed that warm skin as she pulled the tie through, her mind drifting to how soft it would feel under her lips, to the sharp scent of aftershave when she dragged her nose across the skin. 

Rey paused, her eyes falling closed for a second as she took a deep breath. This wouldn’t do. She needed to calm herself, to remember all the reasons why they’d taken this break in the first place. The very real, valid reasons. 

When she opened them, Poe’s eyes were level with her own, his face mere inches from hers. Her fingers still rested on his throat, so she felt it when he swallowed, every breath he took. 

She needed to finish this, and quick.

So she made the fold at the joint and brought the other side over, trying to ignore the way those eyes watched her beneath thick, lush lashes. Bedroom eyes, if she’d ever seen them. 

Back fold. And with a little bit of luck…

“Voilá,” she declared, straightening it just a hair. Poe’s hands came up to cover her own, now resting on his lapels. “All done.”

But neither made a move to step away, the sound of Rey’s breathing loud in her ears.

“You look beautiful tonight.” Poe’s words were soft, low. His breath tickled across her lips. “Then again, you always look beautiful.”

She’d picked this dress with him in mind, a green so soft it was almost silver, the skirt cinched tight at her waist before flowing to the floor, light as a cloud. Despite everything, she found herself pleased that he liked it.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” And he didn’t. There was no denying that the man wore the hell out of a tux, but it was the way his hair was done that night that really got her notice, the curls soft and just a little long. Perfect for running your hands through.

Not that she would.

Poe’s lips curled up, just a fraction of an inch closer than they’d been a second ago. “We make quite the pair.”

“We really do.” 

He was so close that she could feel the heat of his lips, their breaths mingling in the space between. It would be so easy to just close that gap, to release the tension that had been building for weeks now and fuck the consequences…

“Mr. President?” called a voice in the hall. By the sound of it, one of Poe’s many friendly agents. “Mr. President, they’re asking for you downstairs.”

Poe sighed. Heavily. 

“God, how much I miss locking doors,” he said just so she could hear. The voice was far enough away that they weren’t in any real danger of getting caught. Yet. But Poe called back anyway, “Thanks, Snap. I’ll be right there.”

Her words were soft. “Duty calls.”

“Duty calls,” he repeated, resignation coating every word. 

He stepped back, not letting go of her hands until he was out of range. Rey closed her eyes as he went.

She took a deep, but shaky breath, willing her thighs not to squeeze together. God, she missed him between those thighs, the empty ache there nothing but a reminder of what she lost. No, a reminder of what she willingly surrendered.

That thought sent her to the bench in one corner, dropping down with no regard for her dress. 

Sensing her distress, Bee appeared out of nowhere, hopping onto the bench next to her with his usual lack of grace. She scratched behind his ears. 

How long could they last like this? For the past few weeks it felt like they were playing a game of sexual chicken, all that more dangerous for the offices they held. She could have sworn she heard one of the Secret Service call her by a code name last week. Luna. Which meant they knew. More than just knew, they were now in on it, aiding and abetting whatever they inferred might be happening behind closed doors.

It wasn’t. In fact, Rey hadn’t so much as hugged Poe since that little slip after the State of the Union. But that didn’t change the knowledge that Poe’s closest security thought they were fucking.

Enough time had passed that it was probably safe to head down, yet Rey made no move as she continued to pet Bee, his goofy little dog face looking at her in pure devotion. Sure, it was only delaying the inevitable, but the thought of having to spend the next however many hours avoiding Poe’s gaze while playing the good little Chief of Staff made her physically ill. 

Unfortunately, she would be missed. 

Which is why she made her apologies to Bee and found her way out of the closet and downstairs, surreptitiously joining the gathering crowd as they awaited the arrival of the Canadian Prime Minister out on the North Portico. She wended her way through the assembly, ending up just to the left of Poe at the head. Rey shivered. It was far too cold to be standing out here for any length of time in just her dress, but she attempted to stand tall anyway as they waited. And waited. And waited.

Hadn’t anyone checked to make sure they were actually close?

Poe, who had been talking to his Secretary of State on his other side, faced front, his mouth barely moving as he asked, “Are you okay? Do you need a coat?”

What was he planning to do? Offer her his jacket? Cause that would look really good.

Rey struggled to keep her teeth from chattering as the car finally came into view. “I’ll survive, Mr. President.”

Poe didn’t seem convinced, but fixed one of those easy smiles on his face as the Prime Minister and his wife exited the vehicle.

The night passed in the worst kind of agony, a slow slog of small talk and fine dining, with course after course of polite conversation lulling Rey into something approaching brain death. Without a First Lady, Rey tended to get seated next to Poe at these functions, a definite issue with the current simmering tension they battled night and day. And that wasn’t even taking into account the vague sexism of it all. No wife? No problem! Just throw the first female Chief of Staff at it. Not like she had a real job to do.

Rey took a hearty sip of wine. Oof. Resentment wasn’t a good look on her.

Poe was across the room, her eyes following him as schmoozed his way through the guests. This was what he was best at, the people aspect of politics. She’d always admired the way he could work a room, the shaking of hands and kissing of babies. It was what got him here. It was what made her fall in love with him in the first place.

As if he could sense the direction of her thoughts, Poe looked up from his conversation, a soft smile lingering on his face as he gave her a surreptitious wink.

“It’s difficult, isn’t it?” came a strong, female voice from Rey’s right. She turned to find the Prime Minister’s wife smiling at her, eyes dark in the lower light. When Rey simply blinked at her, she went on. “Loving a man who belongs to his country.”

“Oh, I’m not the First Lady.” Outwardly, Rey gave a soft laugh, but inwardly she panicked. “I’m President Dameron’s Chief of Staff.”

“Apologies, I guess I just assumed.”

“No problem. The no First Lady thing throws a lot of people off.” 

“Of course,” she responded, though she didn’t look all that convinced. “That must be it.”

Thankfully, they were all called back to their seats for the entertainment portion of the evening, some popstar that Rey had never heard of, though was undoubtedly a big deal based on the excitement swirling the room.

Poe waited until she started singing to lean over, speaking out of the corner of his mouth. “Why do you look like someone’s died?”

Rey kept her face forward and a smile on her face. “The Prime Minister’s wife thinks we’re together.”

Poe stiffened in his seat, but kept his face carefully and blandly pleasant.

“Well, I suppose she  _ thought _ we were together. I politely explained that I was just the Chief of Staff.”

“I wonder what would give her that idea.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the President of the United States winking at me from across the room tipped her off.”

Poe’s lips thinned, the smile slipping.

“We need to be more careful,” she said, the subtext plain as day.  _ You _ need to be more careful.

“We’re being careful.”

“Really? Because I could have sworn I heard one of your agents refer to me as ‘Luna’ this week.”

Poe wouldn’t quite meet her eyes. “It’s a standard precaution.”

Rey turned from the performance to fix him with A Look. “Luna? To the Lone Wolf?”

Poe at least had the decency to look a little ashamed. “Ok, maybe we could stand to be a little more discreet.” It lasted all of five minutes before he murmured. “But I miss you.”

Between their chairs - and hidden from the congregation at large - his hand found hers, warm and dry in the dark.

“Poe…”

His eyes flashed as she used his real name. “I know, I know. Just… a few more minutes?” He looked in turns so sad and so hopeful that she immediately felt her resolve disappear.

Rey sighed, squeezing his hand back. “Just a few more minutes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll pick up some more threads of the plot next chapter, but I'm honestly having way too much fun with the tension and longing. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Day 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey navigate the ins and outs of governing while trying to balance their own strange non relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, is that a tragic backstory? I did not mean for that to happen, but here we are. Side note, I've been watching way too much election coverage which will be very apparent lol. 
> 
> Also, I'm going to warn you right now that I know next to nothing about politics or the inner workings of the government. It was one of the reasons why I hesitated (at first) to continue this. So this is probably going to get very unbelievable for those in the know, and I ask that you forgive me the mistakes and just go with it lol. It's all about the pining anyway.
> 
> On that note, on with the show!

“Please.”

It was practically a moan as the word fell from Poe’s lips. 

“Rey… I need you.”

He sounded desperate, but Rey was unswayed. In fact, she kind of liked him when he was desperate. Begging.

Naturally, Poe already knew that. “I’m begging you.”

There it was. She sighed, deciding to finally put him out of his misery.

“No.”

“Oh, come on!” he said, throwing his hands up. “I asked nicely. Hell, I begged you. You love it when I beg.” He got up from his spot next to her on the couch, starting to pace the Oval.

Rey snorted. He wasn’t wrong there. She did definitely love it when he begged. Though that didn’t change her answer. “Mr. President, I am not hosting the Easter Egg Roll for you.”

That’s when the President of the United States crossed his arms and dropped down on the opposite couch to sulk. Rey rolled her eyes. Men.

“I told you when we were doing transition work that there was a lot more to the First Lady role than just standing by the President’s side and looking pretty-”

“But I don’t have a First Lady!”

“And that’s why I suggested - no, actually demanded - that you name someone to the role. And you didn’t listen.”

“Who would I have picked? My non-existent girlfriend?” He hurled a pointed look her way. “Perhaps my dead mother?”

That was quite enough. “Poe.”

“Sorry. But I’m an only child. What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know. Hire someone to the role? Grab an aunt or a cousin? Hell, we’re all about bucking norms, so ask your dad to do it. We can call him the First Gentleman or Dad One or something fun.”

“Can’t you just handle it?”

“No.”

“I’ve had to pick out the china for the last two State dinners!”

“That’s your own fault.”

“Rey…”

“Poe…” she shot right back in the same tone. “Listen, I’m already getting confused for your wife or girlfriend by world leaders, there is no way I’m taking over the actual duties of First Lady.”

Poe leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. She recognized that look. This was the shark coming for her.

“Just one event. You don’t even have to be on the actual lawn, I’ll handle that. Just work with the party planners behind the scenes. You know I’m useless at this stuff.”

“I have a real job to do. Which you know.” She fixed him with a look. “You wouldn’t be suggesting that because I’m a woman…”

“No, no, absolutely not.” Poe’s eyes went wide, both hands up in the universal sign for “stop.” “I’ll figure out someone to give it to from here, it’s just too late now to get anyone on board for this particular event.” He tilted his head, going in for the kill. “Think of the children. And their voting aged parents.”

It was barely a week away. And it would be a PR disaster if it was cancelled or awful. Kids were looking forward to this, parents had already planned. Voting aged parents, like Poe had said. Voting aged parents who would remember this in four years. She sighed. As much as she hated it, her hands were tied.

“Fine.” Poe smiled, pumping a fist in victory. “But you owe me!”

“Anything you’d like, just name it,” he said, jumping on the opportunity. "Your wish is my desire this weekend at Camp David.”

To add insult to injury, they were both working through Easter weekend to try and get Poe’s stimulus package, including that student debt cancellation, in tip top shape before it hit the Congress floor, leaving Friday and returning on Monday in time for the Egg Roll.

“Be careful, I might just hold you to that.” The words were out of her mouth before she thought better of it, but the implication hovered, heavy in the air between them. 

Their eyes connected across the little table between them, neither quite sure what to do with that exchange. Both of them were guilty in this case, this brave new world they were attempting to navigate full of pitfalls that neither had been expecting. It felt like every conversation they had these days was loaded with double entendre and thinly veiled desire. So much so that it shouldn’t be a surprise anymore. Yet, here they were.

So they forged ahead using the only path they knew. They ignored it.

Poe cleared his throat. “I would expect nothing less.”

“So, who’s on the guest list anyway?” she asked, eager to change the subject even a little bit. And anyway, witnesses were good. Witnesses kept them honest.

Something on Poe’s face told her she wasn’t going to particularly like the answer. “Well, there’s Baxter and Evans, Finn of course, Williams. You know, both sides of the aisle stuff. Oh, and Representative Organa-Solo and the VP.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you pitched this as a way to get out of Easter with my family. So why is half my family coming?”

He fixed her with a look that he definitely learned from her. “Your aunt is bringing the bill to the floor. Not really sure how she can’t be included.”

“That does not explain why the VP needs to be there.”

“He’s in with Hux. As much as I hate to admit it, we need him if we want this to get through the Senate.” A little smirk played across his lips. “At least I got you out of dinner with your dad.”

Rey huffed out a laugh. “Thank god for small miracles.”

To say relations had been strained with her father lately would be the understatement of the century. 

Luke Skywalker had grown up with the same political aspirations and drive as everyone in their family. He’d gone to the best schools, studied in the best programs. A Congressman at barely 25, it looked like his political future would be bright indeed. And following that meteoric rise, he was only 31 years old when he won his first bid for a Senate seat.

It was in his first days in the Senate that he got the call. His wife and baby daughter had been in a car accident. Rey had survived. Her mother had not.

The tragedy struck deep. Luke blamed himself. But even more than that, he blamed the calling that had taken him away from his young family. 

He resigned from the Senate, effective immediately. Went home. Spent months with Rey as she recovered in the hospital and then at home. Eventually took a job teaching at the local university. But he never fully forgave himself for not being there that day, even though his presence wouldn’t have made a difference. 

Mara still would have gotten in that car. The truck still would have run the light. His being there wouldn’t have changed the outcome. But still he blamed himself. And the Senate.

So when Rey got to college and decided to go into political science and public policy, he was understandably not impressed. Even less so when she joined Poe’s first campaign. And now, well, now that she’d made it to the White House, they were barely speaking.

She loved her dad, she really did, but she couldn’t spend one more tense dinner with him and his disapproval. It was as if she’d chosen a life of crime and not a life of public service.

“What’s that look for?”

She looked up, finding Poe watching her. Right, she’d been lost in her own head for a while there. 

“Just the crushing guilt of leaving my dad alone for the holiday and being happy about it.” She gave a shrug and a smirk. “No big deal.”

Poe knew her story, it was one of the things they bonded over in the early days. The loss of a parent. And when they were young. As such, his eyes were soft when they found hers. 

“You can invite him, you know.” He chose his words carefully, and spoke softly, knowing how tricky of a subject this was for her. “To Camp David. For Easter. If you wanted.”

And he meant it, too. He knew all too well how conflicted she was when it came to her dad. And though she talked a good game, he also knew how hurt she was that her dad wasn’t proud of her swift rise through the ranks. Or at least didn’t show it.

Maybe a trip to Camp David would fix that. Or maybe it would just throw gasoline on an already blazing fire. Only one way to find out.

“You wouldn’t mind?” 

“Not at all.” He paused, a wry smile spreading across his lips. “You know how well your dad and I get along.”

Rey snorted. The last time they’d all been together, Luke and Poe had gotten into a shouting match about his policy choices that had left the rafters shaking. “Well, if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure, Rey. If you want him there, he should be there. Worst case scenario, he can keep Kes company while we work.”

God, he had to be so perfect and understanding all the time, didn’t he? It did little to help her rapidly dwindling self control, especially as she found herself leaning toward him across the table, Poe doing his part to meet her half way.

Thankfully, they still had a country to run. Which proved to be a very effective distraction.

The knock on the door stopped them both in their tracks. 

“That would be the Senate Majority Leader,” Poe said softly, his face a mask of regret. 

Rey was sure her face mirrored his. “And the VP, too.”

“Think they can wait?” The corners of his lips quirked up ever so slightly, a flash of mischief going through those warm, dark eyes.

“Probably not.”

“Damn.”

“I know.”

Poe took a deep breath, launching himself off the couch with a painful sounding grunt. 

“Is your back acting up again?” she asked before she remembered that it wasn’t really her business anymore. 

“You noticed that, huh?” He rubbed a spot on his lower back. “I may have overdone it on this morning’s run. Turns out I had more steam to burn off than I realized.”

Somehow, she felt that had something to do with her. Or them. Or an activity they were no longer taking part in. Rey swallowed thickly.

“Maybe you should see that chiropractor again. He helped the last time.” A concrete problem and a concrete solution. 

Poe nodded, a slight smile on his face. “That’s a good idea.”

The second knock made Poe sigh and roll his eyes. Just another reminder of the real world they very much needed to stay in. 

He crossed the room with a few purposeful strides, throwing open the door with the fakest smile she’d ever seen on his face. “Gentlemen. Come in, come in.”

Ever the gracious host, Poe held the door open for Hux and Ben, two men giving each other a look before taking the couch opposite Rey. Which left Poe the spot next to her.

So it was them against the world (or against the establishment) again, at least for a little while. 

“So, I thought it was about time we met face to face, Senator Hux. I do apologize that it took so long to get you over to the Oval.”

Liar. It had been by design and they both knew it. But both Poe’s face and the lie were smooth, seamless in the light streaming in through the windows. 

“Oh, I understand Mr. President.” Hux’s voice was oily as ever, the smile on his face nothing short of sycophantic. Rey noted that he wasn’t playing on his phone here. “You’re a very busy man. And do please call me Armie. All my friends do.” 

He was really laying it on thick, Rey would give him that. There was even a little twang from his southern roots creeping into his words. Something he undoubtedly usually hid.

“Well, thank you, Armie.” Two could play that game. “I’m sure you know what this meeting is about.”

Hux gave Rey a rather pointed look. “I can guess. Your…” He trailed off, obviously searching for a word. Or making a show of it. “Rey has met with me a few times.” 

The way he said her name, it could have been a synonym for any number of nasty things, bitch and henchman included. Immediately Rey felt her blood pressure skyrocket, that telltale pounding in her ears that was a harbinger of doom. 

Poe’s face remained relaxed, nothing Hux said able to bother him. It was why he was so good at negotiating. He never lost that cool. Well, except maybe when it came to her.

“Ah, excellent. Well you know  _ Ms. Skywalker’s _ word is as good as mine.” A warning. “So I’m glad we’re all on the same page.”

Ben was watching the proceedings like a tennis match, his head bouncing back and forth in silence with each volley. 

“Are we though?” Hux leaned back slowly, his gaze never leaving Poe’s face as he essentially relaxed into the couch. It felt like some kind of a power move. “Because I thought I made my stance quite clear.”

Ben had the gaul to smirk at that. Whose side was he on anyway?

“Let’s cut the crap.” Rey started at Poe’s clipped, direct words. Apparently, he was more pissed than she’d first thought. “Ms. Skywalker has talked to you twice, the Vice President twice more, and still I don’t know the answer to my biggest question.”

“And that is?” 

“What is it that you want?” 

Hux’s lip curled in an uncanny impression of a smile. And yet, it was the farthest thing from that. More feral. “Good. You came to play.”

Anger flashed through Poe’s eyes at that, but Rey doubted anyone but her would know the signs. “I came to win.”

Hux’s answering chuckle set her blood to boiling.

“Well, we need to finish the game first, Mr. President, before we go declaring any winners. I believe you have the first move.”

“As much as I love an extended metaphor, let’s do ourselves both a favor and stop fooling around. I know you’re using this upcoming stimulus bill as a bargaining chip. So what is it you want?”

“I want the wealth tax removed.”

Rey blanched. He must be insane. There was no way Poe would give in to such an outlandish demand. That was half the point of the damn bill. And one of the ways they would be paying for it.

To no one’s surprise, Poe snapped, “No.”

Hux’s oily smile returned. Like Poe had played directly into his hand. “Well, then your bill will fail.”

Ben’s grin was savage next to Hux as he watched Poe’s face cycle through shock and disbelief into anger. 

“So this is what you do? Grind the government to a halt based on your whims?”

“No, President Dameron. What I do is make or break administrations. And something tells me you’re a one-term kind of President.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a promise.” There was a pause, Hux really savoring the words. “Mr. President.” At that, he rose to his feet, stretching languidly. Like he was perfectly at ease. And he was. This was his show, and they were only players. “I’ll see myself out.”

The insolence in that phrase. To not wait until the President dismissed you. They sat in stunned silence. Well, everyone except Ben. He just looked vaguely amused.

Rey waited until the door had clicked shut to turn on Ben. “Gee, you were really a lot of help there, Mr. Vice President.”

Ben shrugged, the smirk on his face eerily reminiscent of Hux. “What could I have said to change his mind?” His eyes flashed when they latched on to hers, dark as Poe’s but with none of the warmth. “And anyway, it’s not like you gave me any room to speak.”

“Enough.” Poe’s tone brooked no argument. “It does no good to infight. We’ll keep working on the bill. It still has to pass through the house. We have time to change his mind before it heads to the Senate.”

“Did that look like a man willing to change his mind?” asked Rey.

But Poe wasn’t listening. “We should start talking to other Senators. See what our numbers look like, who we’re going to have to sway.” He’d gotten to his feet sometime over the last minute, pacing around the office.

There was no point in trying to tell him that vote counts were a moot point if Hux refused to bring it to the floor. Rey had known him long enough to recognize the mood. He wasn’t ready to hear any logic.

“Well, if there’s nothing else.” Ben got to his feet. “I’ve got a lunch to get to.”

Poe was distracted at best when he answered, “No, no. Thanks, Ben.”

“Mr. President, would you like me to stick around?” she asked, concerned. His face was closed off, shuttered in a way that was wholly unlike him.

“No, I won’t keep you.” 

Rey could recognize a dismissal when she heard it. 

He was standing in front of the Resolute Desk when she got up to leave, looking down as he leaned on both arms. It was a rigid position, his shoulders stiff and unyielding. It had been a long time since she’d seen him this upset about something. She ran a hand over one shoulder as she passed.

The door had barely clicked shut when she heard a shouted, if muffled, “Fuck!” followed by an expensive sounding crash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, we travel to Camp David for a fun-filled weekend. Two people desperately trying to avoid each other alone in the Maryland countryside for a night. What could possibly go wrong?
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. Day 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey arrive in Camp David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to leave this here with no comment.

The trip out to Camp David was pleasant enough, especially when you had access to Marine One. Apparently, being friendly with the President had its perks.

It was her first trip in the helicopter - hell, the first trip in a helicopter period - and Rey couldn’t help but smile as she looked out at the trees far below them. The Maryland countryside was really something.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she murmured to Poe, her eyes never leaving the scenery below. 

“It is.” His words were so soft, she turned, a thrum of surprise going through her when she found him watching her.

Not willing to acknowledge what she found in his eyes, especially since they were very much not alone, she turned her attention back to the window and the rapidly approaching break in the trees.

Camp David spread out before her eyes, massive, so much more than she’d been expecting. Though logically she knew it would be huge, it was 200 acres after all, but seeing it in person - and from this height - was an experience in and of itself. 

“Wow.” Her voice was barely audible over the whir of the helicopter.

“I know, right? It’s starting to feel real.”

She turned to him again, a little smile playing across her lips. “What, the past few weeks haven’t been enough of a dream?”

He snorted. “That’s one word for it.”

With the helipad in view, they started to descend, Rey leaning back in the ridiculously plush chair.

“You know, I could get used to this.” She sighed. “In fact, I only travel by helicopter now.”

A single brow quirked up. “You do realize that not every helicopter is quite this lavish?”

“Fine, then I only travel by Marine One now.”

Poe had no chance to answer, not when they set down a moment later, a whir of activity surrounding them as they got ready to disembark.

As they stepped onto the historic grounds, Rey inhaled deeply. The air felt cleaner out here, more crisp than it did in the city. Though it was only in the 60s, it felt warmer, Rey tilting her face up to the sun. 

She felt a hand on her back.

Opening her eyes, she found Poe smiling at her. “You ready?” 

She followed him to the car waiting to take them to Aspen Lodge. 

Her eyes got wider and wider as the Commander talked them through the grand tour, pointing out buildings that she’d only seen in history books and press photos. 

“This is Laurel Lodge,” he said, pointing to a building among the trees. “You’ll be taking most of the big meetings here, along with meals.” The car kept rolling. “There we have Sycamore, Holly, Hawthorne, all available for visitors. In the distance you can just make out Red Oak, and there are more scattered throughout the grounds along with barracks and bathhouses, a bowling alley, horse stables, you name it.”

Poe looked downright gleeful, a kid in a candy shop, as they pulled up to Aspen Lodge, getting out of the car as soon as the Secret Service gave him the go-ahead. There were some final instructions - how to reach the staff, when other arrivals were expected, meal times - and then they were on their own, the rest of their crew arriving the following day.

“Holy shit,” said Poe, dropping down on a couch in the living room. His smile hadn’t slipped in at least ten minutes. “This is insane. Can you believe this?”

“I can’t.” She laughed, settling down next to him. “This is…”

“Amazing?” he finished. 

“I was going to say a little rustic for my tastes.” Poe picked up a throw pillow and tossed it at her. “But that works, too.”

Poe melted back into the couch with sigh, his eyes light and playful as they met hers. “Do we really have to work?”

“Probably. I think it would be frowned upon if we had nothing ready when everyone got here tomorrow.”

He groaned, sliding further down the couch.

“But.”

His brows raised in interest. “But?”

“But, if we get through enough by dinner, I definitely think we’ve earned a dip in the pool.”

His smile went wide. “I like the way you think, Skywalker.”

Four hours later, Rey was maybe regretting that decision. 

They’d made progress on the bill, enough so that they were in good shape when Finn and Leia and the rest arrived tomorrow for the final push. It was honestly amazing how much you could get done without the constant interruptions of the West Wing and its inhabitants. Sure, they’d each had to field a couple calls, but for the most part it was nose to grindstone until dinner.

And now, it was swim time.

Which, you know, wasn’t the best idea when you are alone at a country retreat with the one man on the planet you were trying your hardest not to sleep with. And you managed to pack your skimpiest bikini because you weren’t thinking. 

She shook herself mentally. This was ridiculous. Poe had seen her in far more revealing situations and with far less clothing than this. In fact, he’d spent inauguration night (and morning) face deep in her pussy. They could handle a little dip in the pool.

It was a mantra she repeated over and over as she made her way out of the house and down the slope to the pool. Her nipples pebbled in the cool night air, the temperature having dropped along with the sun. She followed the trail of lights down to the pool deck, finding Poe already waiting for her in the water.

Well, waiting wasn’t the right word, not when he’d apparently chosen to fill the time by doing laps. From here, she had an unobstructed view of his tan back, the muscles flexing and rippling with each stroke as he worked the length of the pool. 

She squeezed her thighs together. This… was not helping.

In fact, she was about to turn and scurry back to the house when Poe made it to the end of the pool, turning around and immediately catching sight of her.

“There you are.” He ran both hands through his hair, getting the worst of the water out of the curls. It ran down his neck and chest in fascinating ways, her eyes following the progress until it rejoined the pool. “I was starting to wonder if you were coming.” There was no heat to his words, but Rey couldn’t help but feel a little prickle of shame. She’d really dragged her feet.

Poe was still smiling up at her, the water hitting about his waist. He was… changed since the last time she’d seen him naked, the muscles on his stomach pulled taut, defined into neat little ridges. Oh, so he had abs, now. And his arms were more bunched, the muscles rippled just below the skin.

“Come on in, the water’s fine.”

She blinked, doing as he said and shedding the sweatpants and t-shirt she’d walked down here in. Poe gave an appreciative whistle.

“That’s new.” His head dipped toward the bathing suit she’d been so self conscious to wear. 

She fixed a wry smile on her face. “Yeah, thought I might take up swimming. I hear it’s good exercise.” 

The suit was anything but made for laps, that much was obvious, and as such Poe laughed along with her. Right. She could do this. It was no big deal. Just another day in the office.

So she made her way over to the steps, the water warm as a bath as it kissed her skin. Down she went, humming slightly in the back of her throat. Yes, this was nice.

Though she wasn’t much of a swimmer, she tried a few stilted strokes, Poe watching as she made her way over to him. 

“The water’s perfect,” she said, flipping over to float on her back. Far above them the stars twinkled and winked in the night sky, the few lights of the compound not enough to dim them this far from civilization.

“View’s not bad either.” His voice was low, a little rough. Something told her he wasn’t talking about the stars.

Sure enough, when she dropped her legs back under the water, he was watching her, his head the only thing above the water. Which she quickly mimicked. It was cold out there.

“So, what now?” she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer. It wasn’t like they could sunbath or float. 

Poe treaded water over to her, a mischievous grin playing across his lips. “Well, we could race. Or see who could hold their breath the longest underwater. Marco Polo is an oldie but a goodie.”

Not what she’d been expecting. 

“You want to play Marco Polo? And have breath holding contests?” She laughed. “What are we, twelve?”

“Come on, it’ll be fun. When do we get to let loose like this?”

He had a point there. She closed her eyes. “Marco!”

“Not fair! You gotta go underwater for 10 seconds to give me a head start!”

It was… dare she say, fun? To completely let go and play. Not that it was a particularly difficult game with only one other person, but the rest of the world was the furthest thing from her mind as they took turns being it, no bills or Senate Majority Leaders or meddling staffers to bother them.

“Marco!” she shouted in what had to be the third or fourth round. She’d sworn she heard a splash to her left.

Sure enough, that’s where Poe’s voice came from. “Polo!”

There was another little splash as he tried to take off, but Rey was too fast for him, her hands hitting warm flesh after a spectacular dive.

“Gotcha.” Her hands lingered where she’d caught him near his waist, feeling the tautness of the muscles there. Her brain must have glitched, because despite her best efforts the next words out of her mouth were, “Someone’s been working out.”

Poe laughed, wrapping his arms around her, to draw her close. “It’s the running. Great stress relief.” 

She could feel every inch of him pressed against every inch of her, and there was a lot more than just running going on. Under his skin, the muscles rippled and bunched with every move, and she could feel the new strength as he held her in his arms. 

“Whatever it is, I like it.” In for a penny, in for a pound.

His eyes darkened at that, and electricity bloomed wherever skin met. Which was a lot of places if she was being honest. Too many. Though the water had cooled, he was so warm against her she almost forgot to shiver when the air hit her skin, sending gooseflesh down her arms. His face was so close to hers in the moonlight, it would barely even take a movement to bring their lips together, to release a bit of the tension that had been plaguing their every move these past few weeks.

Between her thighs, that old familiar ache made itself known, persistent in its regularity. Just another half an inch, a bare few centimeters and she could finally breathe…

Her lip quivered. 

Poe, being Poe, didn’t miss a thing. “You’re freezing.” He pulled her even closer, his hand running up and down her puckered arms.

“No, I’m not.”

His eyes fixed on her. “Your lips are blue.” Then tugging her toward the edge, “Come on, hot tub time.”

Well she couldn’t argue with that, especially when her teeth started to chatter in earnest, the two of them making a run for the hot tub across the pool deck.

Rey sighed as she dropped into the hot water, her muscles immediately relaxing into the heat. The goosebumps were gone in an instant. 

But the spell had been broken.

And thank god. 

“Much better,” declared Poe as he dropped into a seat across from her. He hit a button on the side, starting up the whoosh of jets.

Rey moaned. “We need one of these in the White House.” 

“I’ll float that in next year’s budget.”

Her laugh rang out across the stone and concrete surrounding them. “Something tells me it won’t make it through.”

It was quiet for a moment with only the low rumble of the jets to break the silence that had fallen. That earlier feeling was starting to creep back in, the danger of this position making itself known with each passing second. For someone trying to avoid these types of situations, she sure ended up in a lot of them.

The longer that silence stretched, the more tenuous her control over the situation felt. As such, she moved to fill that space.

“So, it’s been what, a month? A little more. Is it everything you dreamed it would be?” She didn’t need to specify. He knew exactly what she was referring to.

His face got serious, brow furrowed as he really thought it through. It was one of the things she liked (loved) about him. He rarely gave you a flip answer to a real question.

“It’s… different than I was expecting.” He chose the word carefully. 

She was a little shocked to hear it so plainly. Though it tracked with her own experiences. “Is that good or bad?”

“I’m not really sure. It’s not bad different and not good different, just different.” His face turned thoughtful again. “Everything, my whole life, is about the good of the country now. It’s like I don’t even exist. I don’t get opinions or bad days, I can’t lose my temper or show any real feelings. I am the United States and the United States is me.”

Rey’s heart gave a twist in her chest. But Poe wasn’t quite finished.

“It’s a lot lonelier than I imagined.”

And Rey with her decorum and insistence on rules and boundaries certainly wasn’t helping that. Not that he would ever call her on it.

Rey looked over at him, the new lines that had appeared on that handsome face. Maybe it was in her head, but she could have sworn that his hair was a little greyer than it had been even at his inauguration. He looked tired. And yet, he was still kind enough not to blame her. She didn’t deserve him. None of them did.

“I’m sorry.” The words were hardly enough, but they were all she could give.

It was a small smile that he gave her, but a smile nonetheless. “It’s not your fault.”

Of course he’d be willing to absolve her of sin. But Rey wasn’t quite as forgiving, even for herself. “But it is. I’m the one who’s insisting on some outdated brand of decorum, making your friends address you by your title, putting a wedge between you.” What she couldn’t say was that even her own decision to distance their relationship helped contribute to that.

But Poe seemed to know.

He found his way over to the seat next to her, settling an arm around her shoulders. She was embarrassed to find her eyes pricking with tears.

“We’re figuring it out still. It’s only been a little over a month. We have plenty of time to get it right.”

“How is it that you’re the one comforting me?” She huffed a laugh through her tears. “Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”

“That’s just because I’m better than you. I am the President, after all.”

Rey snorted, directing an elbow (gently) into his gut.

“Oof, is that how you thank me?”

He was smiling at her, and she was smiling at him, and the moment stretched, and something tenuous that had been holding her back snapped.

“No,” she said, watching his eyes smolder at her in the near dark. “This is.”

She tilted her head up, connecting the circuit that had been dormant since the day after the inauguration. 

His lips were insistent on hers, the steam rising from the hot tub bringing sweat to her skin. It was her that ran her tongue across his lips and her who deepened the kiss, somehow finding herself on his lap a second later. 

But Poe apparently wasn’t satisfied with just tasting her lips, his own straying to her neck as she buried her hands in those lush, damp curls. His attentions dipped lower, skating over her collar bones, lips brushing against the tops of her breasts.

She yanked his head back up, no preamble when she brought her mouth to his again, tongue pushing in. His hands were tight on her waist, pressing her further into his lap even as her hips jerked of their own accord. 

Beneath her, she could feel him grow hard between her thighs, a subtle nudge that became more insistent as time went on.

It was that insistence that finally brought her back to reality.

She pulled back, Poe’s lips chasing her unsuccessfully. 

“Shit,” she said, completely out of breath. Her chest heaved from the desire.

“No, not shit. No shit. Only kissing.” His own breaths were equally strained, his forehead resting uneasily against her own.

She laughed, wanting nothing more than to pick up where they’d left off, but that very small but very vocal logical part of her brain would not be silenced. “We can’t. I can’t.”

His hands had found their way to her back, her skin coming alive every single place he touched. It was in equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.

“I know.” His voice was a whisper, barely audible over the rush and rumble of the jets. As if they too knew the magnitude of the moment, the hot tub chose that moment to click off, leaving them in aching silence. Their twenty minutes were up.

Rey peeled herself off his skin, every inch of her feeling the loss acutely. “I-I should go. To bed. Big day tomorrow.”

Poe cleared his throat, shifting his trunks underwater. “I’m gonna stay here a little while longer.”

But Rey was already out of the water, the air biting into her skin as she made a run for a towel. A shower would be nice. Clear her head. Maybe a cold one if the walk to the house didn’t do the trick.

It took everything she had to take those first steps, to turn her back and walk away, even when she half expected him to follow her. But as she made it to the house, she could have sworn she heard the low rumble of the jets start up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not sorry. See you on Monday!


	9. Day 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the rest of the team descends upon Camp David, Poe and Rey continue to circle each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Hope you're ready for some simmering sexual tension.

Rey was dead asleep when she heard the knock on the door.

Her heart jumped into her throat, the unfamiliar surroundings sending her into a panic. It took several deep breaths before she remembered. She was at Camp David. It was the middle of the night. And there could only be one person at that door.

So she slid out of bed and padded over.

“What?” she snapped, Poe looking far too good in a pair of plaid pajama pants and a Yavin U t-shirt. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying not to think of the fact that she was only wearing a matching cami and short set herself.

“Sorry, did I wake you?”

She just stared at him.

“Right, it’s late. Or early, I suppose.” He was nervous, shifting from foot to foot. For a second she worried something had actually happened.

So she asked the question. “What can I help you with, Mr. President?”

“I can’t sleep.”

Rey blinked. “Not what I asked, but ok. I repeat, what can I help you with?”

“Come on, you know I don’t sleep well in new places.” She did. In fact, the first few nights in her apartment back in Yavin, neither of them slept a wink thanks to his tossing and turning. And, well, other stuff too, but mainly the tossing and turning. It made her wonder how those first few weeks at the White House had gone. Without her. “The wind is whistling, I keep hearing animal sounds, and I swear to god there was something  _ scraping _ a few minutes ago.” He turned those big doe eyes on her. “Please.”

She knew what he was asking, and so soon after the hot tub incident it was probably the worst possible thing she could do. But he looked downright pitiful standing in his bare feet at her door. And this old house  _ was _ kinda creepy. So she sighed and said against her better judgement, “Fine. But if you keep me up, I swear to god, you’re out,” before turning to stalk back to the bed.

“Of course, of course. Thank you.”

She got into bed, leaving Poe to close the door behind them. He was halfway to join her before she propped herself on an elbow and added, “And no hanky panky.”

“I promise, there will be neither hanky nor panky,” he affirmed, raising his hands in surrender. But there was the tiniest of smiles playing across his lips as he slid into bed next to her, far enough away to give her space, but not far enough that she couldn’t feel his subtle warmth at her back.

It was more comforting than she cared to admit, his stolid presence in her bed, even as she forced herself not to acknowledge either it or him. But he was still there, quiet and calming in the dark. She rolled onto her back, joining him at staring up at the ceiling.

“I’m sorry about earlier.” Her voice was soft in the dark, and though she kept her eyes fully trained on the stucco above their heads, she could feel when Poe turned his head to look at her.

“I’m not.”

His words were firm. Even. Leaving no room for misunderstanding. 

She wanted to laugh. Or maybe cry. Of course he didn’t regret it. Poe had never regretted a thing in his life. Yet another reason she loved him. 

Turning to her side, she faced him across the space of a pillow, his eyes luminous in the moonlight pouring through the window. 

“You know we can’t do this tomorrow night.”

“Yeah, I know.” One hand came up to brush the hair out of her eyes, Rey closing her eyes against the soft touch. “That’s why I’m making the most of it now.”

“It’s a thin line you’re walking.” Rey fought the smile that was attempting to cross her lips.

“I highly doubt this can be considered hanky panky.”

“Maybe not full hanky panky, but definitely something that leads to it.” She let that smile she’d been fighting have free rein. “Fore-hanky panky if you will.”

Poe chuckled, a throaty sound that she felt more than heard. 

Just then, the wind picked up outside, a steady wail that sent shivers down her spine. A tree scraped against the window. It set her teeth on edge.

Poe’s hand found hers in an instant, warm and dry and all too familiar. 

“I’m starting to think the great outdoors are overrated,” he said, giving her hand another squeeze as that scraping picked up again.

“Hard same.”

They were quiet, the whispers and moans of the wind the only sound in the room. Her eyes started to grow heavy in the silence. It had been a long day. And with everyone arriving to work on the bill, tomorrow would only be longer.

“I miss this.”

She was almost asleep when Poe’s soft words hit her ears. And that was the excuse for the next words out of her mouth.

“I miss you.”

“I’m right here, Rey. I’m right here.”

It was those words that ushered her into sleep.

Rey woke slowly, her body unwilling to give up sleep. She was warm and content and having the best dream, one where she and Poe were back in her apartment in Yavin, wrapped in each other like nothing could ever tear them apart.

So young. So idealistic. 

She missed those days.

Slowly but surely, the dream faded away. This wasn’t Yavin. Or her old apartment in the capital. And yet, those were Poe’s arms around her, his stomach pressed against her back, his soft breaths in her ear. 

She blinked against the morning sun streaming through the windows, her bedroom in the lodge coming into focus around her. And sure enough, that was Poe behind her, the big spoon to her little, shifting slightly in sleep.

Or not.

“Morning, Sunshine.” It was an old, but very effective nickname. One she hadn’t heard in far too long. Immediately she melted a little. “Did you sleep well?”

She had, but that was beside the point.

“Poe, we should probably get up. Everyone will be here soon.” She made to get up, but Poe kept a loose grip on her waist (enough so that she could have broken free if she wanted. Which she didn’t), tugging her back down to face him. 

“Just humor me. For five minutes.” His face was so sweet and soft in the morning that when he asked, “Did you sleep well?” again, she not only answered, but answered honestly.

“It was the best night I’ve had in months.”

“Me too.” The hand that had come to rest on the dip of her waist was now wandering it’s way up her side, skin on skin as it disappeared underneath her tank top. He was up to her ribs, just shy of where the side of her breast would be, when a sharp knock echoed through the lodge.

Rey released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

Poe groaned. “Saved by the bell.”

He got up, making his way toward the bedroom door. There was another knock. “Mr. President, your guests are about ten minutes out.”

It was one of Poe’s usual agents. The one he called Snap for some reason. 

Poe turned to her, hand poised above the doorknob. “This isn’t over.” Then he was gone, and Rey could hear him talking to Snap at the front door. 

So no one was there to hear when she whispered, “Yes, it is.”

The day was somehow even more chaotic than she’d imagined, Leia coming down with both her dad and Poe’s, the string of representatives and writers hot on their heels. They made sure everyone was settled into their cabins, the dads staying in the main house with Poe and Rey, before they made their way over to Laurel for the work to begin.

“Dad, you and Mr. Dameron will be okay, right?” she asked for what had to be the ten thousandth time since he’d stepped foot on the grounds, that permanent scowl on his face barely lifting. At least he and Kes got on like a house on fire. 

“Oh don’t worry about us, Rey.” Kes waved her off, answering on behalf of her silent and skulking father. “We’ve got a full day planned. Golf and tennis and the Commander even offered to facilitate skeet shooting in the afternoon. So you two go make history and we’ll see you for dinner.”

Rey turned to her father. “Dad?”

“Go, go. Like Kes said, we’ll be fine.” His words were much more gruff than Kes’s, but the meaning and intent were the same. At whatever trepidation must have been on her face, his own softened, leaving that scowl behind. “Go change the world, baby girl.”

She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Lone Wolf and Luna on the move.”

Rey’s cheeks ached for the grinning as she and Poe walked toward Laurel, her eyes trying to memorize the beauty of the trees and the paths around them. 

“Your dad seems in a pretty good mood.” 

“I know, right? It almost feels too good to be true.”

“Nah. I think he’s just realizing what a kick ass daughter he has.” He gave her a wry smile. “Better late than never.”

Rey gave him a playful whack. Never too hard, since she wasn’t sure how dedicated those Secret Service agents were. “I don’t know.” She took a deep breath, almost afraid to say the next words. Afraid she’d jinx it. “Is it naive to hope that he’s finally coming around?”

“It’s never naive to hope your dad is proud of you.” He reached for her, his hand dropping a second later when he remembered himself. “Shit.”

Shit, indeed. The lines were blurring. Hell, they were already past the point of recognition. It was all too easy to forget who and what they were outside of D.C. Even with the three men tailing them, and a lodge full of staff and legislators barely a hundred feet in front of them. 

So they did what they did best in these situations and ignored it. 

“You ready?” she asked, her eyes on the lodge looming just ahead. It was a reminder of what they were walking in to, who they needed to be over the next few days. 

Poe fixed his face, all earlier emotion wiped away in favor of that stony mask that told her he meant business. “As I’ll ever be.” 

The next hours passed in a flurry of hard work and compromise, preparing for what was surely a battle ahead. It was a little astonishing to see them all at work, Rey honored to be among the greats as they did their thing. That was including Poe, who like everything he seemed to touch, was a natural at this, somehow always able to provide an insight or stop the infighting before it got too far out of hand.

Though for his part, Ben appeared to be hellbent on starting those fights, his opinions always at once categorically trash and completely unwanted.

“I’m not sure why we’re even putting in the wealth tax,” he said, leaning back in his chair. At once she could sense half the people in the room hold their collective breaths. “We all know it’s going to get taken out anyway.”

Across the table, Leia struck Rey with a look that screamed, “Why did we invite him anyway?”

The answer to that was obvious. For better or worse, he had a rapport with Hux. In letting him help guide this, they were hoping to bring the Majority Leader on as well. Though that seemed to be spectacularly backfiring.

“The wealth tax stays,” declared Poe, always no nonsense in these situations. He was up and about, always pacing as they worked through a problem. “It’s the heart and soul of this initiative.”

Ben fixed him with a smug smile.

Unfortunately, Poe took the bait. “What?”

“You’re setting this up to fail, and you know it.” 

Rey swore that she could see Poe’s blood pressure notch up in real time. 

He leaned forward, pressing his hands into the table as he faced Ben. The sleeves of his button down had been rolled up to reveal tan forearms, the muscle corded as he flexed in frustration.

Rey wasn’t too proud to admit the sight did something to her.

“And why is that?”

“You heard the Majority Leader. He’s not even going to bring this on the floor if it’s in there.” Something about the way he was talking did not sit right with Rey. She knew her cousin and this was too rehearsed, too polished by half for it to be from him. “What if you modified it? Made it more appealing to the other side.”

Klaxons were going off in Rey’s head. Something was definitely off here.

But it seemed to go right by Poe. “How so?”

“Well,” he started, a little too casual. “What if you drop the tax by ten percentage points? That would keep Hux happy, and still be in the spirit of the original. Win-win.”

“And the deficit that creates? We need every penny of that tax to pay for this.”

Ben made a big show of pulling the giant document toward him and pretending to read the applicable portion. “Wage cap on the student debt initiative. If you make a certain amount, you aren’t eligible.”

Rey blinked. It wasn’t a bad idea. Not perfect, of course, but not bad. That made her all the more suspicious about where it came from. No offense to her Aunt Leia, but Ben wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. She didn’t believe for a second that he was able to come up with a perfect solution just like that.

Poe seemed to be thinking along those same lines. “That could work.” Absently, he ran a hand through his hair, curls sticking straight up in the aftermath. Good lord, he needed a haircut. How had she not noticed before? “Let’s get some language around it.” 

“So, how are we going to market this?” asked Leia, when they’d finally gotten most of the wording right. At least, a first draft. All one thousand two-hundred and seventy-two pages of it. 

It was late, far later than they’d been planning on working, so it was no surprise when Poe fixed her with a confused look. “Market it?”

“Yes, market it.” She spoke slowly, as if explaining it to a toddler. Which wasn’t completely out of scope. They were all a little brain dead at this point. “You know, sell it to our colleagues.”

“Why would we need to sell it? It should stand on its own merits.”

Leia chuckled fondly. “Oh, Mr. President. That kind of idealism is sweet.” She got up, gathering her things to go. “You should get some sleep. We apparently have much to discuss tomorrow before Easter dinner.”

Poe’s expression went dark as people started to pack up and file out, only Finn daring to stop and say goodnight. Poe was a good man, but he was still a man. And pride factored into that. 

As the room emptied, one of Poe’s agents came over. “Sir, would you like me to have a cart pulled around?” 

She watched as Poe mulled that over. “I think I’m gonna walk. Clear my head.”

“Would you like some company?” It was an offer she fully expected to be declined. She knew this man, knew that he’d want to be alone to stew in Leia’s well intentioned but ultimately insulting comment. 

So it was quite the shock when Poe responded, “Yes. I’d like that.”

“Lone Wolf and Luna are on the move. Headed back to Laurel on foot.”

“I am never going to get used to that.” She shook her head as they stepped into the cool night air. The plan had been to have dinner with their parents, but that time had come and gone hours ago. In fact, they were well on their way to midnight at this point.

Poe chuckled, hands in his pockets as they walked along. “The name itself or the fact that you have one?”

“Both.” Rey paused, her eyes raised upward toward the night sky. “Did any other chiefs of staff have one?”

“I think you know the answer to that.”

She’d suspected as much, but hearing confirmation made something twist in her chest. Even though they weren’t technically together, they still weren’t fooling anyone. Made her wonder why they were even trying at this point.

They were quiet for a moment, the only sound that of their feet on the path and the nightlife around them. Distantly, an owl hooted. And Rey jumped.

Poe’s laugh rang out in the night. “I’m surprised you braved the wilderness with me.”

Rey gave him a playful shove.

“Oh please, who was the one crawling in my bed last night?”

“That cannot be used against me!”

“Wanna bet?”

They were both smiling in the dark, their paths bringing them closer and closer until they were almost touching. So close and yet so far away. That is, until Poe snatched her hand.

Neither commented on it. Just business as usual. But that bit of connection made her brave enough to ask the question that had been on her mind the whole walk.

“What are you going to do about what Leia said?”

Next to her, Poe took a deep breath. “I’m going to swallow my pride, and take her advice.”

“Really?”

“Really.” He swallowed. “This isn’t about me. So I need to put that aside and get the job done. Even if it involves getting talked down to by the most senior member of Congress.”

“You really are one of the good ones, you know that right?” She squeezed his hand. “Please don’t ever change.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

They were finally approaching the lodge, both of them obviously dragging their feet as it came into view. Out here, they could do this. They could hold hands and talk freely and be themselves. In there, where their fathers sat waiting, they needed to keep up the ruse, keep their distance, keep it professional.

Which is how they found themselves on the front porch. Unwilling to move.

“Mr. President, are you in for the night?” Snap was waiting a respectable distance away, always striking the balance between seeing everything and nothing.

“Yes. Thanks, Snap.”

“Lone Wolf and Luna are in for the night. Proceed with nighttime protocols.” 

Though Rey had no clue what that meant, it sounded fairly official. Something she hadn’t thought about but was always going on in the background. Keeping Poe safe. Keeping them safe.

Maybe Luna wasn’t such a bad thing.

Poe’s mind seemed to be on the same tract as he pulled her closer, into his arms. “It’s comforting. Knowing they’re looking out for you, too.” He leaned his forehead against hers, face open and far too fond in the moonlight. “Though, I think maybe they got it wrong with your codename. You aren’t the moon. You’re my sun.”

Did she mention he had a way with words? Because he had a way with words. And that knowledge did nothing to diminish the power of said words and their ability to make her melt.

They were so close - forehead to forehead - that the slightest tilt of her head would bring their lips together again. Which if she was being honest was one of the few things she’d been able to think about since last night. That kiss, rather than satisfying her, had only managed to spark her appetite. A hunger that was becoming more and more difficult to ignore.

A creak inside the house alerted them a second before the door swung open to reveal Kes, giving them just enough time to jump apart.

“I thought I heard someone out here!” he said, completely oblivious to what he may or may not have just interrupted. “We were starting to worry you all would be working through the night. Come in, come in. Did they feed you guys? Cause we’ve got some…”

Rey smiled at Poe as Kes went on, a constant stream of chatter as they followed him into the house. Though as Poe went to keep his father occupied, Rey found herself face to face with her own. 

The look on his face spelled trouble as he looked from Poe to Rey and back again, something a little too knowing in his ice blue eyes.

“Did you have a nice day, Dad?” she asked, hoping to derail whatever was going through his mind.

Her father actually managed a tight smile. “I did. This place really has all the bells and whistles.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear.”

“Well, I’m gonna go hit the hay.” He started to shuffle over to where the bedrooms were. “We’ll see you two tomorrow for Easter dinner?”

“That’s the plan.”

He nodded. “Night, Rey.”

“Night, Dad.”

And with that he was, disappearing into the bedroom he’d been assigned. As stulted as this was, it was one of the most cordial conversations they’d had since she made her decision to go into the family business. 

Progress. It felt like progress. And a little like hope. 

So when there was a knock at her door in the wee hours that morning, it was that little spark of hope that had her inviting Poe to slip into her bed, his arms tight around her as they fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to level with you. You aren't going to want to miss next chapter. See you on Wednesday!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Day 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Easter brings new developments. And a little fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is over 4,000 words and I have zero regrets.

When Rey woke on Easter morning, she expected it to be alone. What with the two fathers in the house and the Secret Service already very much on to them. And yet, it was in Poe’s arms that she woke, and his arms that she realized it was very much after 7 AM.

“Poe!” She turned to shake him awake. Good lord, since when did he sleep like the dead? “Get up!”

He blinked awake slowly, those ridiculous eyelashes fluttering as he struggled into consciousness. “What? Five more minutes,” he mumbled, going to turn over.

Rey shook him again. “Poe, it’s almost 7:30.”

“Exactly. Let’s sleep in.” His arm found its way around her waist, attempting to pull her closer.

As much as she would love to let him do just that - if there was anyone who deserved a lie-in, it would be Poe - there were still two fathers about to get up at any moment and find one of their rooms empty. Not that they were doing anything. It was strictly cuddling. But she didn’t need anyone jumping to any ideas.

Thankfully, she didn’t need to push any further, not when the words finally sunk in.

“Oh, shit.” He sat straight up. 

“There he is.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked, scrambling to get out of her bed. 

Rey simply fixed him with a look.

“Right. That’s what you’re doing. Damnit, do you think they’re up?”

“I don’t know, but even if they aren’t, they will be soon.”

“I’m going, I’m going,” he said, creeping over to the door. He opened it a crack, peering outside into the hall. “Coast is clear.”

“And what are you waiting for?”

“This.” Fast as can be, he leaned over, placing the softest peck on her lips. Before she could even register it, he was gone. 

She dropped back against her pillow. “See you at breakfast.”

They spent the morning working through a plan to get other congressmen and women aboard, tweaking language and working their contacts to piece together an accurate picture of what the vote would look like. Compromises were made, and Poe - true to his word - put his pride on the backburner until everyone was satisfied with the result. Which meant no one was satisfied with the result. So it went in politics.

Thankfully, they put all of that aside for dinner, a huge affair in one of the dining rooms in Laurel with every type of food imaginable on display. The spread was prodigious, ham and hard boiled eggs side by side with pasta and potatoes and even what looked like some kind of dumplings.

It dawned on Rey once they’d sat down to dinner and she looked around that having her dad here was possibly a bit of a mistake. Not only was he one of the few family members invited - throwing into sharp relief the perks Rey tended to enjoy - but he was also something of a myth in D.C. circles, the promising Senator from a political dynasty who gave it up in the face of tragedy.

Whispers had broken out when he appeared, some of the younger staff and congresspeople unable to hide their excitement and interest in the face of such a legend. To her surprise, her father had largely weathered the storm, ignoring the worst of it as he got his food and sat down next to his sister.

Rey pretended not to be shocked by the easy way he spoke to Leia, a decades long rift seeming to disappear into thin air. In fact, he was downright friendly as Rey watched him laugh and joke from her spot next to Poe across the table. 

“I think this was a good idea,” whispered Poe when they thought no one was looking.

She watched in fascination as her generally serious father told a joke, an honest to god joke, earning a rousing laugh from everyone around him. “I think you may be right.”

“Wait, can I hear that again? Do my ears deceive me? Did Rey Skywalker just admit that I was right?”

He was just playing with her, but he wholeheartedly deserved the jab in his stomach he received, though Rey couldn’t help but take note of how hard that stomach was against her elbow.

Poe’s eyes were in full crinkle as he smiled at her, the moment stretching to last a little longer than strictly necessary. When she turned back to her plate, she looked up to find her father’s eyes on her, concern that he didn’t hide so well gracing his features. She swallowed and went back to her food. 

As was the original plan, they took the rest of the day off, everyone welcome to enjoy all of Camp David’s amenities. While most decided to linger around the pool and hottub since it was another gloriously sunny day, Rey chose a horseback ride through the trails guided by the stablemaster.

It was peaceful and quiet, giving her plenty of time to think. Which, honestly, was never a good thing.

This whole weekend had been like a little vacation from reality. The pool, the hottub, the aggressive cuddling and bedsharing. It had been amazing, everything she’d always imagined a real relationship would be like. You know, minus the Secret Service. 

But it had made them sloppy. Blurred the lines. Busted through each and every boundary she’d ever set. She needed both hands to count the number of times they’d almost been caught this weekend alone. And it had only seemed to make them more reckless for their troubles.

And yet, Rey found that she couldn’t care.

No, not couldn’t. Wouldn’t. It was a refusal to care. For the second time in her life, she was standing at what felt like the precipice of something huge. Last time she’d leapt without so much as a second thought. This time, the stakes were inarguably higher, and yet that old inevitability crept in anyway. 

Rey shook herself mentally. No. She needed to stay strong. It was this place that weakened her resolve, she just knew it. The fresh air and the privacy and the fact that they were out of the capital, it had all conspired to make her lose her damn mind. And she would not be sucked in again.

That new resolve lasted all the way back to Aspen. 

Dinner was a low-key affair, everyone making their way to Laurel for a pared down version of the earlier buffet. Finding herself still rather stuffed from that afternoon, Rey mainly pushed the food around her plate, lost in thought. That is, until someone dropped in the seat next to her.

“In all the years I’ve known you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you pick at your food.” 

Rey looked up from her plate to find Poe smirking at her. 

“In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you not wolf your food down like someone was going to take it away.” 

Without thinking, she elbowed him, immediately falling back into the trap that was Poe Dameron. “Hmm, cause I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment of peace and quiet from you. Still waiting.”

“Ha ha. Very funny.”

“I think I am.”

She was about to respond when the Dads sat down across from them. So, she pivoted.

“Hey Dad, how was your day?”

“Good, good.” Rey blinked in surprise. There was an actual smile on his face. “We did some more shooting, and then I watched this old man beat our fearless leader at tennis.” He finished by clapping Kes on the shoulder, a friendly gesture if there was one.

Ignoring that development, Rey turned to Poe, brows raised. “Really.”

“I believe the correct term for it is ‘kicked my ass,’” Poe affirmed, digging into his food. “But that’s just semantics.”

“Ah, it’s ok, son. You’ll get there one day.” Kes’ good natured chuckle was a thing of beauty.

When she met Poe’s eyes a second later, there was something in his knowing look, a little mischief hidden in the crinkles she loved that told her there might be more to that particular story. 

But that was not the moment to wonder, not when this was the best she’d gotten along with her father in as long as she could remember. He smiled at her from across the table. It was like all the resentment over the years had disappeared into thin air as he finally saw her do her thing, here in her element. Who would have thought that a trip to Camp David was all it would take.

Well, Poe had. Which was why Rey found herself at his door later that night. 

They’d all spent the better part of that evening gathered around the table in their cabin playing round after round of gin rummy like she used to as a kid, her dad as animated as she’d ever seen him. He and Kes truly got on like a house on fire, something Rey noted and filed away. You know, for four years from now.

But the night wound down and everyone found their way to their own beds. And Rey found her way to Poe’s door.

She was just going to thank him. For the weekend, for suggesting she invite her father, for everything. But when she knocked on the door and heard his soft, “Come in,” what she found on the other side stopped her dead in her tracks.

Poe was laid out on the floor, shirt off and knees bent, miles and miles of that golden tan skin glistening and on display.

Rey blinked. And blinked again.

Sit ups. He was doing sit ups. And those gorgeous new abs of his obviously thanked him for it.

All earlier thoughts flew out of her head and she pointed at him in accusation. “I knew it! Just running my ass. Nobody gets a six pack from just running!”

On the floor, Poe burst out laughing. “Is that really what you came in here for? To accuse me of working out?”

Oh, right.

“No. But I wanted it noted.” There was no containing the small smile that played at her lips, so she didn’t even bother trying.

“It’s good stress relief,” he said, bringing himself to a seated position. She watched the muscles ripple with no little bit of fascination. “Now that I don’t have… other avenues.” Oh, she knew exactly what he meant by that. “It helps me sleep.”

She nodded, trying not to think about how much she missed those other avenues. How she dreamed about them almost nightly. The way her thighs attempted to squeeze together in that very moment. 

This was not the time nor the place. She’d come in here to say something, and she intended to do just that. Regardless of the current state of undress.

“Right. Well, I just came in here to say thank you for suggesting Dad come up for the weekend.” She looked anywhere but those glistening abs, even as Poe now got to his feet. “He really seemed to enjoy himself, and it means a lot.” Rey paused, unable to ignore the elephant in the room a second longer. “Do you want a minute to like put on a shirt or something…”

Poe’s dark eyes remained level, never leaving her face. “Is that what you want?”

She knew the right answer to that. She said the wrong one anyway.

“No.”

He took a step forward, that intoxicating salt and skin scent wrapping around her. 

“Then what is it you want, Rey?” His voice was low, more than a little dangerous.

Well, wasn’t that the question of the year? What did she want? She wanted to be taken seriously in her role. She wanted this damn bill to pass. She wanted to do her job and be remembered for it. But most of all, in that moment, she wanted Poe.

“You. I want you.”

The next thing she knew, he was kissing her, his body hot and hard against her when he brought her close. Automatically, her arms twined around his neck, lips and tongues tangling in a breath stealing kiss. 

He lifted her easily, her legs wrapping around his waist as he walked her to the bed. Gently, so gently, he laid her back, his body engulfing her even as he continued to kiss her. Her night clothes peeled off effortlessly, the two of them barely pausing in their thorough explorations of the other’s mouth. 

All the longing of the past few months translated into that kiss, the tension somehow ratcheting up to rival that of a taut bowstring. The thin shorts Poe had been wearing vanished, the two of them bared to each other for the first time since inauguration night. 

Rey ran her hands over the smooth expanses of Poe’s skin. “I’ve missed this,” she managed to pant out, very much distracted by the sucking little kisses Poe was applying to her neck and chest. 

“I’ve missed you.” He looked up at her, Rey almost wanting to cry at the loss of contact. But there was that glint in his eye and a smirk on his face as he turned his gaze lower, shuffling down the bed until he was face to face with her already weeping pussy. “And I’ve missed you.”

Rey laughed but not for long, not when Poe put his mouth on her in the next second, practically keening when that talented tongue hit her clit. Her back arched, Poe placing a steadying on her stomach to bring her back down.

His eyes caught hers across the length of her body. “I see you’ve missed my mouth, too.”

“Less talk, more action,” was her retort, one foot coming up to gently but definitively push him back to the task at hand.

Oh, he was good at this, his technique measured and calculated over the years of knowledge. He knew just what she needed and when she needed it, his skills second to none. Another thing Rose had guessed correctly. He’d spend hours down here teasing each pant and moan from her if that’s what she needed, making her crest and subside and crest again until she came wet and messy with a scream on her lips. And if she needed something more straightforward, a quick release, that was no problem either, his lips and tongue always capable of making her come in five minutes or less. They were busy people, after all.

They split the difference that day, Poe working his magic as he brought her to the edge once before backing off, pressing kisses to her thighs while she squirmed and begged. When he found his way back to her clit, it was with a renewed purpose, lips and tongue bringing her closer and closer until she tipped right over the edge. 

Every muscle in her body went taut in the second before she found her release, the months spent apart making it that much more sweet. 

He worked her through it, her muscles twitching and jumping with each application of tongue. 

Finally, she stilled, Poe apparently settling in for round two before she pulled him up. 

“I want you. Now.”

A sly smile spread across Poe’s face. “Who am I to say no to that?”

“Condom?”

There was a split second before Poe’s face fell.

Rey sat up on her elbows. “Please tell me you did not come to Camp David without condoms.”

“Why would I bring condoms to Camp David?” He ran a hand through his curls, already mussed up from her own ministrations. “I wasn’t exactly planning on this.”

Rey fell back on the pillows with frustrated groan. “What happened to the old boy scout motto? Always be prepared.”

“I was never a boy scout.”

“I can tell.”

He sat back on his heels, face turning thoughtful. “Give me a second. Let me think.”

“We are not improvising a condom.”

“I know that.” He bit his lip. “You think one of the Secret Service…”

“NO.”

“Alright, alright.” A lightbulb went off. “Wait, they stock this whole place, right? Maybe they stock those too.”

He was off the bed in a flash, and Rey could hear him digging through drawers in the attached master bath a second later. And digging. And digging.

She already knew his answer when he appeared at the door. “Nothing.”

She closed her eyes. This could not be her luck. 

“I’m gonna check the guest bath.”

When she opened her eyes, he was already at the door. “Don’t you want to put some clothes on?”

He smirked, doubling back to give her a sweet, lingering kiss. “I’ll be quick. No one’s up, anyway.”

Sinking back into the pillows, she watched his bare ass retreat with no little bit of interest. It was a very nice ass, and she knew from experience it would be both plump and firm in her hands.

It felt like an eternity, waiting alone in the bedroom for him to return. Each passing moment running the risk of her coming to her senses. This was stupid. She knew that. And the risk of them getting caught doubled just about every minute. 

Yet, as Poe re-entered the room, strip of condoms in hand, she found she didn’t care.

“Victory!” he declared as he shut the door behind him. The grin on his face was absolutely infectious. “And I checked, they don’t expire ‘til 2022.”

That did little to lessen Rey’s unease. “We are never, ever discussing where these came from or who might have used them.”

Poe shuddered. “That is a promise.”

“Then get up here,” she said, dragging him down to hover over her. Though by looks of it, they had a little work to do after the long distraction to bring him up from half staff. Her lips curled. “Allow me.”

Poe happily leaned back, allowing her mouth to do the heavy lifting. 

He groaned when her lips hit the warm velvet of his cockhead, Rey teasing the tip for a moment before she took him deep. Even as he hit the back of her throat, there were inches left unattended, her hand doing its best to pick up the slack. 

It didn’t take long for him to be back at full attention. Her mouth was no slouch either.

From there, things moved quickly, Poe rolling the condom on, Rey laying back, spreading her legs to accommodate him. He slotted himself over her, the softest, most fond look on his face as he looked down at her.

“Are you still good?” His voice was gentle, low as he brushed her hair back from her forehead.

Rey smiled, pressing up until her lips found his. “Yes.”

That hand now teased at her entrance. “You’re ready for me.”

It wasn’t quite a question, but Rey answered it anyway. “Yes.” Then, reaching up to bury her hand in those soft, soft curls. “Please.”

Never one to deny her anything, Poe wasted no time lining himself up, a gentle nudge that had her sighing in relief before he pushed in in earnest. Fulfilling his earlier promise, he went slowly, inch by agonizing inch as her body accepted him. His name on her lips felt like an invocation, whispered into the semi-dark as she held on for dear life.

It felt like an eternity until he finally bottomed out, filling her almost to the breaking point. Soft kisses fell down the column of her throat, onto one shoulder, across her collarbones to the other shoulder, giving her the time to adjust. After all, she hadn’t been lying to Rose. He was big.

But Rey was done waiting. She wanted to feel it, really feel it as he moved inside her. So she placed a hand on his stubbly cheek and said, “Show me what you’ve got.”

Poe’s grin went wide, all teeth and eye crinkles, as he did just that, pulling back slowly only to snap his hips back into her.

Though she wasn’t usually particularly… vocal in bed, either the time apart or the months of longing cause a sharp, involuntary gasp to fall from her lips at the movement, Poe’s smile turning feral above her.

He repeated the movement, Rey’s hands tightening around his shoulders. “You like that?” His voice was like a purr in her ear.

“Yes,” she managed to get out as he moved again, this time hitching one of her legs up to change the angle. There was a moan that apparently came from her as he pushed back in.

“I can’t hear you.”

There was a playfulness to his eyes, but she knew a command when she heard it.

“Yes.” Her voice was louder this time, even as her eyes fell closed at the sensations. “Yes. Don’t stop.”

“Atta girl,” he crooned, Rey’s skin going hot all over. And still, he kept up that steady, slow, agonizing rhythm. “Tell me what you want, Rey.”

It was the same question he’d asked earlier, and her answer hadn’t changed. “You. I want you.”

“You’ve got me.” 

His lips found hers, the kiss sloppy and open mouthed as he continued to pulse into her, the speed and angle so torturously perfect that she could already feel her muscles tightening in response.

But true to his word, Poe took his time with her, doing everything in his considerable power to bring her to the edge while not letting her fall over it. Sweat glistened on that perfect body, the effort of his ministrations showing with each ripple of muscle and panted breath. 

She recognized the signs. He was close, too.

Sure enough, after the next thrust he begged, “Oh my god, please come.”

But Rey knew the name of this game. They’d been playing it for years now. She knew every tell and trick. So it was all too easy to bury a hand in his hair and whisper, “Make me.”

That competitive streak ran far too deep, and Rey watched as his eyes sparked with it, a smug little smile appearing on that sweaty face.

He did just that, picking up the pace, one hand dipping down to tease at her clit.

It wasn’t long then, Rey’s fingers scrabbling at his shoulders as she felt the start of her orgasm. It erupted from her core, exploding outward until every inch of her felt bathed in sensation, Poe’s mouth coming up to swallow whatever sound escaped her lips.

It took a few seconds for her to come down, but when she did, Poe was still thrusting away on top of her. Though his movements had become less fluid, his breaths jagged and jerky. 

So she tugged on his hair the way he liked it and decided to try something new. “Come for me, Mr. President,” she whispered into the shell of his ear, the effect instantaneous.

His hips jerked and stuttered, Poe burying his face in her neck as he came with a groan.

He collapsed next to her a second later, as relaxed as she’d seen him since his term started. He dealt with the condom in a hurry, and then, pressing soft kisses into her sweat-tacky skin, he pulled her into his arms.

In the logical part of her brain, she knew she had things to do. Get up. Go pee. Clean herself up. Sneak back across the hall. But being here in Poe’s arms, it felt far too right for her to do anything but settle in.

Poe seemed to be of the same mind. 

“I’ve missed this,” he murmured into her skin.

She had, too. But she wasn’t quite willing to admit that. So she went with a little levity. “It’s been less than two months.”

“Two months too many if you ask me.” He tugged her closer, his face practically buried in her hair. “I love you.”

There was so much stacked against them. So many reasons that this had been one of her worst ideas yet. But all of those very valid arguments flew out of her head at that first touch of his skin on hers.

So there was no hesitation when Rey responded, “I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you on Monday!


	11. Day 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning following their reunion, the shit hits the fan. Later, big decisions are made at the Egg Roll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Ready for some sexy times aftermath? A huge shout out to [GothamOracle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothamOracle/pseuds/GothamOracle) who saved my life and helped shape a very important conversation that just plain wasn't working in its original form. Luke's characterization thanks you, GothamOracle!
> 
> Now on with the show!

The sun was just starting to stream through the windows when Rey awoke in Poe’s arms. 

Sleep clung to her as she stretched, feeling the soft ache and burn of her muscles. The best kind of ache. 

Next to her, Poe stirred.

“Morning, Sunshine.” He turned to face her, a soft but sleepy smile on his face. One hand came up to brush back her nest of hair.

She smiled back, the name and gesture both so intimately familiar to her. It was like a dam had been broken last night, their last defense against the deluge of feelings floating down the river. 

“Morning.” 

She didn’t even mind his morning breath when leaned over to kiss her, soft and sweet and lingering in the early morning sun. 

Naturally, one thing led to another, Poe’s hands finding their way from her hair down her body, palms tracing the shape of her. Rey shivered as his hand ghosted down her side, touches light as air leaving goosebumps in their wake. 

The kiss deepened. 

Rey found herself on her back, Poe’s body pressing her into the mattress as he kissed down her neck.

Things were just starting to get good, Poe’s talented mouth finding one of her nipples, when the sounds of stirring from elsewhere in the house reached her ears.

“Poe,” she managed to pant out.

He hummed in response, the delicious sensation rippling through her chest.

No. She needed to focus. 

“Poe,” she repeated, this time gently pushing his head up from its current business. He came off her nipple with a quiet pop. 

“What?” He looked confused as he met her gaze, pupils already blown wide.

She was quiet for a moment. Listening. And there it was: the creak of floorboards in one of the other rooms.

“Shit, shit, shit.” She was out of bed in a flash, Poe making his displeasure known. Loudly.

He reached for her as she searched the room for her clothes. What the hell had she been wearing last night? “Come on, come back to bed. We have precious few hours before we need to be back in D.C.”

“Someone is awake,” she hissed, finding the pair of shorts she’d so easily discarded last night. When she stepped into them, she felt that telltale ache in her core, the one you only got after a night spent in bed with Poe. Well, probably anyone, but this particular ache was obviously his work. “I heard creaking.”

“This whole place creaks.” He leaned over, successfully catching her hand. “Please come back to bed.”

There was a soft tug. She snatched her hand back.

“Come on, it’s like 5:30 in the morning. Nobody’s up.” He was watching her from the bed, propped on one elbow and looking ridiculously tempting with his curls every which way from sleep. Or her hands.

But there was no time to worry about that now. She still hadn’t found her top, dropping to her hands and knees to check under the bed. “This was…” she started, reaching so her fingertips just brushed the fabric. Ah, there.

“A mistake. I know, I know.” 

Something in his voice made her turn, finding him sitting up watching her with a look that just about broke her heart. 

She swallowed thickly. Shrugged on her top. Took his face in her hands. “You and I are never a mistake.” Then her lips found his.

It was a lie, but a pretty one. This had been a mistake, but not for the reasons he thought. She didn’t regret the night or the sex or the impromptu sleepover. No, it was the aftermath she was worried about, when they had to go back to their regular lives and try to forget that this had ever happened. It was like giving a single sip of vodka to an alcoholic. Once you started, it was all over. And now that she’d gotten a taste of all that glorious skin against hers, there was no turning back.

She rested her forehead on his, his hands finding their way around her waist.

“Don’t say it,” he whispered, his lips barely a breath from hers.

“What?”

“What you’re going to say.” His hands dipped under her top, light over the sensitive skin. “Let’s just leave this as the perfect night.”

She hadn’t actually known what she was going to say, but they’d both heard the variations enough to know the gist. “Okay.”

“Okay.” There was a smile on his lips when he pressed them to hers one final time. 

Then she was stepping back and crossing the room and putting her hand on the doorknob. It was there that she paused, looking over her shoulder one last time. 

If she thought the way he’d been looking at her earlier had been heartbreaking, there was truly no comparison to his current expression. The downward tilt of those lips. The complete and utter lack of crinkles. Neither of them needed to say the words, but they both knew how this had to go. 

Cold turkey. 

The first few days were always the worst. It would hurt. Four more years. It was only four more years.

Then she was out the door and into the hall, letting go of a breath she swore she’d been holding since last night as she leaned against the door she’d just shut. 

Only to look up and find herself face to face with her father.

Her heart about jumped out of her chest. “Dad?” 

“Rey?” His face was screwed up in confusion for a second, before falling into something that looked a lot like disgust. His eyes darted from her to the door and back again, surely taking in the state of her hair and what she was pretty sure was a hickey on her collarbone. “What’s going on here?”

She thought it was pretty obvious. But she wasn’t about to say that to her father. God, this was so much worse than getting caught making out on the couch at fifteen. Though the best she could on short notice was, “I was just checking in with the President.”

Not her best work.

“At 5:30 in the morning. In your pajamas.” Luke wasn’t a dumb man. He shook his head with the bitter huff of a laugh. “I should have known.”

“Dad, it’s not what you think.”

“So you aren’t a White House staffer sleeping with the President of the United States.” 

She blinked, hating to hear the truth stated in such blunt terms. But that didn’t stop her infamous Skywalker temper from roaring to life. “No, I’m the White House Chief of Staff. And what I do in my bedroom is none of your concern.”

Not to be outdone, Luke seemed intent on reminding her where that temper came from.

“That’s right. You aren’t some starry eyed first year intern, falling prey to a man in power. You are better than that. You are smarter than that.” When she didn’t answer, he laughed again. “Wow, so this is why you went into politics? Why you broke my heart? So you could become the biggest cliche in D.C.?”

“It’s not like that,” she snapped, never one to take an insult lying down. Even when it came from her father. “This isn’t something that just happened. We’re in a committed relationship.” A lie. Kind of. Honestly, she had no clue at this point. But she did know one thing. “We’ve been together for years.”

Distantly, in the back of her mind, she realized that they were not whispering, that this was a conversation in a full house at full volume, but she found that she was too angry to care at the moment.

Across the hall, Kes popped his head out the door.

At this point, her dad was mere decibels away from shouting. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better? That this is something that’s been going on for a while?” Noticing Kes for the first time, he turned to the other man. “Did you know about this?”

Put on the spot, Kes’s eyes went wide. He gave Rey a semi-apologetic look before responding with a sigh, “I had my suspicions.”

That was certainly news to Rey. Oh well, she’d deal with that revelation later. One fire at a time.

“So it was just me you were keeping this from.” His expression turned dark, a look of betrayal on his lined face. “You lied to me. You’re lying to the American people.”

“We’ve been keeping it from everyone! Or so we thought.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. Jesus Christ, how did she end up here? “And believe me, we hold no illusions about what would happen if this got out.”

Behind her, the door opened. “What’s going on out here?” asked Poe, standing there in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. Not exactly helping the situation.

“Oh, great. Glad the man of the hour could join us.”

“Dad…”

“No,” snapped Luke, turning on her again. “Don’t ‘Dad’ me. Here, I thought all this political business was your aunt’s doing. Filling your head with that ‘let’s save the world’ nonsense. And I came here, and I saw you doing just that, and I thought maybe it wasn’t so bad. Maybe you actually could make a difference here.

“But after all this time, I find out it’s nothing but the oldest story in D.C. I may not have been here all that long, but it was long enough to learn how this one ends. How many women do you need to see fall into that trap and lose their careers for it to sink in?”

He paused, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I can’t believe my daughter is just another staffer trying to sleep her way to the top. Though, it looks like you really put your mind to it and got there.”

His words hit her like a slap in the face. Sure, they’d gotten into it over the years, but never anything like this. Never before had he looked at her like that, with disgust and pity in his eyes. Tears sprang to her eyes.

Poe took a step forward, everything about his body promising violence. “That’s enough. You will not speak to her that way.”

Naturally, Luke wasn’t about to back down. “I don’t know who you think you are–”

“I’m the President of the United States and you will not speak to her that way again in my presence.” There was that tone again, the one that brooked no argument. The one that made heads of state look up and take notice. “Do you understand?”

“You’re going to ruin her life, you do realize that right? She’ll never be able to work in this town again if this gets out.” The words were directed at Poe, but he just continued to glare at Luke, arms crossed over his chest.

Recognizing defeat, Luke narrowed his eyes at Poe one final time before turning around and heading back to his room. But not before lobbing his parting words at Rey.

“I raised you better than this.”

The door slammed shut, throwing the rest of them into stunned silence.

“Rey.” Poe came forward, ostensibly to comfort her in some way. Putting both hands up, she stepped out of reach. 

“I can’t.” The words were barely more than a sob. She backed toward her room. “I can’t.”

The ride back to the White House was silent, the excited chatter of the trip out here nowhere to be found. Though no one but them knew what had happened that morning, the rest of the passengers took their cues from the President, his silence thick and dark and threatening to suffocate everyone in the cabin.

For her part, Rey sat as far away from Poe as the space would allow, her gaze trained on the landscape below.

She couldn’t believe her father had said those things to her. That he thought so little of her. His reaction was what amounted to her worst fears, the harsh words that every journalist in America would spew if they knew the truth. All the vile things that she’d imagined being said to her and by her father no less. 

If that was how her own father reacted, she couldn’t imagine what the press would do to her.

And still, she played with fire, her gaze shifting across the cabin until she found Poe. He was watching her, his dark eyes pleading. Shit, he looked tired, that unbridled joy of the early morning nowhere to be found. 

He’d tried to apologize to her before they boarded, but Rey hadn’t been ready to hear it. Everything was still too raw, an open wound walking. She needed time to think, to figure things out on her own, without the intoxicating presence of Poe weakening her resolve.

Logically, she knew what she had to do. It hadn’t changed since she’d said it on inauguration night. Or the day after. Or the many days since. This had been a slip up, nothing more. Poe knew it, that’s why he didn’t want her to say it that morning. 

_ Let’s keep this the perfect night. _ She almost wanted to laugh at that naivete. What a difference a few hours could make. 

Finally, he broke the connection, unable to bear whatever was written on her face. It didn’t matter, they were landing anyway, the rest of their silent conversation buried in the hustle and bustle of disembarking.

Though it was early, they were already setting up for the Egg Roll, the energy and excitement of the lawns completely at odds with her own mood.

Which is where she found herself a few hours later, amidst the clamor and chaos on the front lawn.

Turned out, the Egg Roll was a lot more complicated than it sounded when Poe explained it to her, less quaint little tradition, more massive party complete with roving characters, meet and greets, and live entertainment. Thank god that most of the nitty gritty was handled by the five or so White House party planners. They really just needed someone to say yes or no to their ideas and pick a color scheme. Oh, and be on site to wave and greet and read the kids a story. Which Poe had promised her he’d do.

Naturally, he was nowhere to be found.

She should have known better than to agree to this. You don’t even have to be on the actual lawn, he’d said. Just work with the party planners behind the scenes. Of course, when something sounded too good to be true, it usually was.

Behind her, someone retched loudly, a group of kids shouting “Ew!” for good measure. Rey closed her eyes. God, this really was the day from hell. 

To add insult to injury, she swore she could feel the early signs of a UTI as she crossed the grass to chat with one of the planners, that tell-tale and all too familiar burn in her core increasing with each passing moment. Great. Just great. The perfect souvenir from an already infamous night. 

That’ll teach her to pee instead of cuddle.

“Ms. Skywalker!” came a vaguely familiar voice across the lawn. Rey turned. It was one of the party planners she had been working with on this event, a harried woman about her own age. “Ms. Skywalker, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” The woman was practically shouting, and still it barely carried over the sound of the band currently giving a full concert on the opposite side of the lawn. 

“What’s up?” she shouted in return. Her head was already pounding and there were at least six meetings she was missing for this.

“Have you seen the President?”

“No, why?”

“As soon as the band finishes up, we’re gonna start the story, and he’s supposed to be the one reading it.” She flipped through her little clipboard. “He was supposed to be here 20 minutes ago.”

Of course he was. Normally, Rey would give him the benefit of the doubt - he was leader of the free world after all - but after the events of that morning, she was starting to wonder if he was simply just avoiding her.

Not that she could say that out loud.

“He must have been held up in the Oval,” she shouted, as diplomatically as possible. “Who’s the backup?”

The woman simply stared at her, a nervous look on her face.

Rey put her hands up. “No, no, no. I did not sign up for that.”

“I know, but there’s no one else.”

Rey was about to march back into the White House and drag Poe out by his damn ear, when a strange ripple went through the crowd. She recognized that effect. It followed them wherever Poe went.

Sure enough, she turned around to find Poe working his way through the crowd to them, a string of moms following his every move. For his part, Poe took it in stride, stopping to smile and wave and shake hands as women of all ages grinned and fluttered their lashes at him. Though she told herself she was used to it, she shared the man with the entire world after all, there was a flash of jealousy that went through her at the sight.

Finally, Poe was able to extricate himself from his adoring crowd (with a little help from his friends in the Secret Service), making his way over to where Rey and the planner stood. 

“I hear you’re the woman to see.” He locked on to the young planner, completely ignoring Rey’s presence. 

The woman smiled up at him. “Mr. President, it’s such an honor.” Then seeming to remember her actual job. “Right. Well, if you’ll follow me, we’ll get you all set up. You go on as soon as the band finishes their set.”

“Excellent, lead the way.” He flashed her his best smile. The one with all the crinkles.

Rey quickly saw her window of opportunity closing. “Mr. President, I was hoping to get a word.”

He paused mid stride, turning to look at her for the first time since Marine One. “Uh, can it wait? You know, until after the Roll.”

There was some trepidation on that handsome face and more than a fair share of nerves in his voice. It hit her that he was afraid. Afraid of what she wanted to say to him. Afraid of what she’d do after the disastrous morning. Afraid of her.

One look at that face and she relented. “Of course. I’ll talk to you then.”

He gave her a rather weak smile before turning to follow the planner. Rey trailed a few steps behind, destined always to follow but never lead.

Her father’s words swirled around over and over in her head. It wasn’t the words themselves that bothered her. There was nothing her father had said to her that she hadn’t said to herself during her darkest moments. Hell, she’d even said the same thing to Poe. No, it was the fact that her father was right. 

Standing here, in the shadow of the White House - the people’s house - and all it represented, she knew that they couldn’t go on like this. They’d fallen off the wagon exactly once and had been caught almost immediately. There was no way they’d be able to keep up the ruse and their relationship in the confines of this house. 

If she was smart, she’d put an end to this madness right here and now. But the jury was still out on that.

Which is why she found herself at story time and not back at her desk in the West Wing. Or so she told herself. 

She hung back, keeping to the fringes of the gathered group. Poe sat at the center, kids - and quite a few moms - fanning out in every direction.

Rey didn’t really know the book - something about a cat named Pete - but the kids sure did, cheering and laughing as the cat in question had an Easter adventure. Naturally, Poe played it up, doing voices and making faces and generally making every woman over the age of 18 in a five mile radius swoon. He had a knack for this, and an undeniable way with kids. 

He wanted them. Kids that is. They’d talked about it once upon a time, before they’d chosen to make a bid for the White House and all that entailed. Though she told herself she was above all that, seeing him like this, in all his glory, it made the biological clock she swore she didn’t have start ticking loudly enough to hear. 

“He’s good at this,” came a familiar voice from behind, Rey turning to find Finn smiling at her. 

Funny, she’d just been thinking the same thing. “He really is, isn’t he?” It came out a little more sad than she’d been expecting. Finn gave her a strange look, but she kept her eyes forward.

Maybe she wanted that, too. The kids and the house, the white picket fence and the dog to play in the yard. With Poe.

Too bad they already had a house. A big white one with high fences that meant they couldn’t have the rest. At least not yet.

She took a deep breath, pulling herself together.

“So what brings you out?” she asked, pretending like she hadn’t almost started crying in the middle of Pete the Cat.

Finn smiled. “You know, this looked like a lot more fun than that speech for the Summit I’m supposed to be working on.”

“Ah, procrastination, then. Fair enough.”

“You caught me.” There was a pause. “What about you?”

“Oh, didn’t you hear? I’m throwing this little shindig.”

Finn simply raised a brow.

“I know. Anyway, I gotta talk to the President after this. Figured I might as well wait around.”

“Mmm hmm,” he said, noncommittal as ever. “Well, I better get back. Environmental reform waits for no man.”

“Good luck.”

“I’m gonna need it.”

She laughed, and by the time she turned back around Poe was finishing up.

“The End.”

The assembly burst into applause, the mothers significantly more enthusiastic than the kids when it came down to it. Poe gave a little bow, sticking around to mingle with the under 15 set. Rey couldn’t help but wonder if maybe he was dragging his feet a little to avoid a certain conversation.

Though soon enough, it was time for the main event, everyone gathering around to watch the kids roll their eggs as Poe supervised. He’d gained quite the following of adoring fans, a gaggle of women shadowing every move he made, trying to strike up a conversation or just get a minute of his time. It didn’t take long for it to start wearing on him, his smile going from open and genuine to forced and more than a little fake. 

By the time the last of the kids were up, he looked downright panicked, seeking her out where she’d been hovering along the edge.

“You have to hide me,” he said, his face deadly serious. “Make an excuse, tell them you need me for something, anything in the White House.”

She tried not to laugh. “You’re afraid of a few mothers?”

“Have you seen them? Those women are out for blood.”

“Oh, I’ve seen them. They’re out for something, and blood ain’t it.” Poe gave her A Look. “What? You always poll really well with that demographic.”

“Yeah, they’re looking for a good poling, all right.”

Rey snorted into her hand. 

Neither of them spoke for a minute, both watching the kids as they chased each other and checked out their goodie bags and played some kind of an intricate game of tag.

“You’re good with them,” she said, finally breaking the silence. 

Poe smiled, a wistful look on his face. “What can I say? I know how to work a crowd.” It was more than that, and they both knew it. But she let it slide in favor of bigger things.

“You know, we can’t put this off much longer. We need to talk.”

“Do we really have to do this here?” She could hear the plea in his voice, hating that she was the reason it was there.

But that didn’t change the facts.

“Yes.”

Poe nodded, resignation lining his face.

She knew what she had to say. What they had to do. There was zero doubt. Which is why the next words out of her mouth were a complete surprise, even to her.

“I don’t want to wait four years.” Poe’s head whipped around to face her. “Hell, I don’t even want to wait four hours. I want to be with you. Now.”

She knew it was a mistake. She knew that this could only end in disaster. 

She also didn’t care.

Next to her, Poe smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now for the bad news. This is going to be the only update for Mr. President this week. Between yesterday's collab with SunburnStardust (which you should really check out) and Skywalker Inn and another Super Secret Project dropping this coming Sunday, I fell a little behind. I could probably cobble together something for this by the end of the week, but I'd much rather come back swinging next week with my regularly scheduled updates. Quality over quantity (I hope). 
> 
> Anyway, thanks in advance for your patience, and let me know what you think about the latest developments. We're only just getting started with the fun.
> 
> See you on Monday!


	12. Day 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey head to Prague for the Climate Summit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why hello. I hope you've had a pleasant week since I've last posted this story. The good news is that I've got two delightful chapters for you this week, so buckle up. It's gonna be a wild ride.
> 
> Speaking of wild rides, we've got some smut here. If that's not your thing, skip from “Then let me educate you.” to “Have I mentioned that I love you?”
> 
> Enjoy!

Sure, Rey had been to Europe before. Her father had spoken at Universities and conferences across the globe, Rey’s early years spent dutifully tagging along for the chance to spend a day or two sightseeing. But never before like this.

Air Force One was like a whole different world. Actually, it was its own little world, a fully equipped mobile government from which Poe could - technically - govern from indefinitely. Gone were the cramped seats and two aisles of a commercial plane, that lovely cattle pen feeling you got in coach, replaced with comfy conference rooms and dining rooms and spacious recliners. And that wasn’t taking into account the full kitchen complete with gourmet chefs or the multiple bathrooms or the entire suite of rooms reserved for the President’s own use in the nose of the plane.

As Rey sat in the room specially designated for Senior Staff, like herself, she couldn’t help but feel a little tickled by the whole thing. 

They were headed to Prague for a summit on climate change, the keynote of which would be given by Poe himself. It was a huge honor, especially when considering how new Poe was to all of this when compared to the rest of the world leaders in attendance. Yet another testament to the man’s greatness.

Then again, she might be a little biased on that front.

Because of course things had heated up in the week or so since the Egg Roll and all the drama that came before, when Rey had given both herself and Poe the surprise of a lifetime by telling him that she wanted to be with him. 

The way he’d looked at her on that lawn. It felt like she’d been laid bare right then and there. Even this many days later, it sent a delighted shiver down her spine. 

They’d barely made it back to the Residence before they’d ripped each other’s clothes off.

Since then, they’d been like a couple of teenagers, sneaking off at all hours of the night and day to steal a few moments of alone time. They’d long since given up the pretense that they were hiding it from the Secret Service, wholly relying on whatever rules or oaths bound them to keep their mouths shut. Though this trip would certainly put a damper on all that. There was only so much they could get away with on the world stage.

Then again, that was part of the plan. Incremental change. They’d start putting out feelers that Poe was dating, gradually getting the public used to the idea. Then Rey would be seen in his company more and more. Finally, it would come out that after years of working together and friendship, that they were dating. There would be backlash, there always was, but they weren’t doing anything illegal. Breaking a few norms, sure. But nothing illegal.

Yes, this was slower than the “burn it all down” approach she may or may not have been advocating for on the White House lawn, but this way there was at least a chance that she could be with the man she loved and keep her job, too. And for that, she’d be willing to wait a little longer. 

Though, her father’s harsh words, the last they’d spoken, still rang through her head, casting a pall over what should have been a hopeful plan. She looked out over the Atlantic, the punishing dark of the ocean at night doing nothing to dispel that ominous feeling. 

“Rey?”

Looking up, she found Finn standing in the doorway, that always affable smile on his face.

“We’re gonna do a final pass on the speech in the conference room.” He thumbed behind him. “Did you wanna join?”

She blinked for a second, willing herself to get out of her own head. “Yes, of course. I’ll be right there. Thanks, Finn.”

He nodded and made to go join the rest before doubling back, his grin almost obscene in it’s wideness. “Can you believe we’re actually on Air Force One, headed to Prague to give a keynote at a climate summit?”

“Honestly? I’ve been sitting here trying to pinch myself since take off.”

Finn took that as an invitation, dropping into the chair across from her.

“I know, right? I mean, I wrote the Keynote Speech for the Prague Climate Summit. I can’t even wrap my head around it. God, if 25 year-old Finn could see me now.” He shook his head a little, like maybe 30-year-old Finn couldn’t quite believe it either. “Do you remember when we used to sit around in the early days, dreaming of shit like this? It felt like such a stretch, and now it’s here. We’re living it.”

It was slightly more complicated than that for her - it always was when you put Poe into the mix - but she remembered those days all too well. That tiny undercurrent of anticipation that threaded its way through everything they did. Like they already knew that it was only a matter of time before they were going to change the world. A manifest destiny.

“I do remember,” she said, her smile feeling a little wistful on her face. “But to me, it felt inevitable. Like there was never any doubt we’d end up here.”

“Poe has that effect on people, doesn’t he?”

“He really does.” Rey’s smile went wide.

At that, Finn got to his feet. “Well, we’d better get in there if we want to keep changing the world with him.” 

“I’m right behind you.” 

With a light hand on her shoulder, he was gone, leaving Rey to the darkness outside the window and her thoughts. 

It was always a little sobering to remember that Poe wasn’t just hers. The decisions they made affected other people, affected the entire country. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if their relationship somehow deprived the world of his leadership. As difficult as it would be, and as impatient as she was, it was good that they were taking the incremental approach. Less chance for Congress to feel a little impeachy.

No point in dragging her feet any longer, she got up, stretching a bit before heading toward the conference room. It was late, and she wanted nothing more than to sleep after working a full day, but they still had more than six hours to go before landing. Plenty of time to sleep. 

She slipped into the conference room, taking a seat at the far end of the table. They didn’t strictly need her here. This was the Finn and Poe show. But she absolutely loved watching them work through these final beats of a speech. It was truly a thing of beauty. 

And she wasn’t the only one, a few select members of the press being invited to watch the final run throughs.

It had been one of her more brilliant ideas, some easy, good press all while giving Poe an audience to play to. Because if there was one thing she was sure of, it’s that Poe worked best with an audience.

Speaking of, he and Finn were charming the hell out of the gathered press, going back and forth with one of their little bits while the Vice President scowled on.

It was rare that the President and Vice President traveled together, security and line of succession concerns what they were, but since they were all headed to the same place anyway, an exception had been made to everyone’s disappointment. Though he’d been insistent on attending, it seemed that Ben was intent on pouting and skulking for the entire flight. Joy.

She looked around at the journalists they’d invited, trying to assess who would be most likely to report on the always delightful VP. Jackson would be fine, he was one of their more trusted allies in the media. Ditto with Perkins and Mendel. She continued her way down the line, checking off Jones, Rice, and Kowalski, her eyes sticking on Bliss. 

Who the hell thought inviting Zorii was a good idea?

Zorii Bliss was one of their fiercest critics, her paper taking shots at their administration from day one. Actually, before that. Since they won the goddamn election. The fact that she and Poe were old friends from their college days apparently meant nothing to Zorii, her articles always a thorn in Rey’s side. And that wasn’t even taking into account the way she was waaaaay too familiar with the President of the United States, always finding her way near him and laughing too hard at his jokes and even touching his shoulder to emphasize a point. 

Yet, she was still given access. Apparently, Rey’s suggestion to sideline her was, according to Poe, “a little fascist.” Whatever. 

The last time she’d said something, he’d actually had the audacity to accuse her of being jealous. This had nothing to do with jealousy, it was about propriety and rules and decorum and not batting your eyelashes at the President to get a scoop.

Which is what she was doing that very moment, leaning over the table between Poe and Finn to laugh at something one or the other had just said.

Rey seethed.

She cleared her throat, everyone in the room turning toward her. “Do we want to get started so everyone can get some sleep before Prague?”

“Excellent idea. I know I could use a little shut eye,” said Poe, his smile not slipping in the least. “So, let’s start at the top.”

They did just that, tweaking some of the wording and phrases, working on Poe’s delivery, even doing a bit of last minute fact checking with Finn’s help until everyone was asleep on their feet. 

After Poe had flubbed the same line for the sixth time, he finally set down his notes. “Ok, that’s it, I’m braindead. We can pick this up tomorrow in Prague.” He looked down at his watch. “Scratch that, today. Good work, everyone. See you on the ground.”

Never one to waste an opportunity, Zorii was at Poe’s side in a second, chattering away to a visibly exhausted Poe. If he was that tired, it meant his guard was down, and though he may have trusted the reporter, it sounded like a recipe for disaster to Rey. 

Time to intervene.

By the time she crossed the room, getting stopped twice by other staffers with questions or concerns, the two of them were giggling like a couple of school girls. Rey bristled. That was quite enough.

“Excuse me, Zorii. Mr. President, if I could have a word?”

Poe’s smile was wide, his eyes doing that crinkly thing that she liked to pretend was just for her. “Of course.” But those eyes were trained on Zorii, and Rey watched in barely contained ire as he dropped a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “Duty calls, but this is not over. You’re telling me the rest of that story when we land.”

“You bet, Mr. President,” Zorii replied, a smug look on her face as her eyes connected with Rey’s. 

At that, Rey grabbed Poe’s arm, subtly dragging him from the room. And unsubtly pinching his arm in the process. 

“Ow, what’s that for?” 

But Rey didn’t respond, mostly because she didn’t know what the hell had come over her. There was a fire in her belly, ignited by that obnoxious woman and her too-pretty eyes. So Rey dragged Poe past the kitchens and the senior staff room and into the Presidential suite.

The door had barely clicked behind them when she pressed Poe against the wall and took his lips in her own. 

He responded in kind, pulling her closer, burying his hands in her loose hair. When they finally came up for air a minute later, Rey focused her attention on his neck, loosening his tie, her nimble fingers busying themselves with the buttons on his shirt. 

“Not that I’m complaining, but what’s going on here?” he managed to pant out, his tie hitting the floor. 

Her hands found skin, the shirt joining the tie on the floor. “We have a few hours. Thought we might try joining the mile high club.”

Poe’s brows shot up toward his hairline. Though she couldn’t help but notice that his pupils were already blown. “Anything in particular bring this on?”

“Any reason in particular we’re still talking?” She paused in unbuckling his belt long enough to palm his rapidly growing bulge. “I’m guessing we’re already in agreement here. Unless...” At that, she stepped back, Poe immediately chasing her.

“Nope, 100% agreement,” he said, his lips finding hers in an instant. 

Slowly, she led him by the lips toward the private bathroom.

“You know, there’s a full bed in the next room, right?” Poe worked his way down her jaw and to her neck, five o’clock shadow scraping against her soft skin.

“It doesn’t count if it’s in a bed.”

Poe chuckled, sending shivers down her spine. “Forgive me, I was unaware.”

“Then let me educate you.” Rey bit down on her grin, taking a step back. Then slowly she turned, making sure Poe’s eyes were fixed on her as she lifted her skirt up to reveal her lack of underwear and bent over the sink.

Poe’s jaw dropped.

“Are you coming?”

That got Poe into gear, unbuckling his belt, taking himself in hand. “Have I mentioned that you’re my favorite? Because you’re definitely my favorite.”

He stepped behind her, one hand coming around to play with her clit. Her head tipped back onto his shoulder at that first touch, her body so ready for him, it wasn’t even funny. 

“Please tell me you have a condom this time,” she managed to get out between pants, Poe’s hands far too talented for their own good.

His breath tickled at the shell of her ear. “I never leave home without them anymore.”

As if to demonstrate, she heard the telltale sound of foil tearing, a little bit of shifting behind her before Poe’s hand was back. “You ready for me, Sunshine?”

By way of answer, she pushed back against him. Poe chuckled.

“That’s not an answer.”

Rey almost smiled. So it was one of those moods. Ok, she could play.

“Yes.” She pressed back again, his hardness brushing her exposed ass. “Please.”

“Atta girl.” He petted the space between her thighs fondly, his voice barely a growl in her ear when he asked, “How do you want me?”

She didn’t even hesitate. “I want you so deep I can feel you in my throat.”

Behind her, Poe’s grin turned feral, Rey barely able to lock eyes with him in the mirror before he lined up and plunged into her.

They both groaned as he bottomed out, Rey’s knuckles turning white on the little counter. He felt bigger like this, if that was even possible, stretching her just shy of her breaking point. It had only been a few hours since they’d done this, but it felt longer, her body wanting nothing more than to feel that sweet, sweet release that only Poe could provide. An ecstasy in and of itself, one that she craved every minute she didn’t have it.

It wasn’t an addiction. She could stop any time she wanted.

Thankfully, that time was not now.

Having given her sufficient time to adjust, Poe pulled back, his hand a brand between her shoulder blades as he dove back in. It was a brutal pace as requested, his hips snapping over and over again to bury himself deep as he could.

It was fast and rough and everything she’d been hoping for when she’d dragged him in here, fully washing away the bad taste left by Zorii and her antics. 

But now was not the time to think about pesky reporters flirting with the leader of the free world, not when the man himself was currently buried between her thighs.

Speaking of Poe, his movements had become jerky, little unconscious sounds falling from his lips even as they pressed against her neck. It was painfully obvious that he was close. Time to play catch up.

Rey’s hand dipped between her thighs, fingers deliberate as she helped herself along. 

It wasn’t long before her knees started to quake, hand gripping the edge of the sink for dear life as her orgasm tore through her. It was all she could do to remain upright as Poe continued to move behind her, his hips stuttering once, twice before he came with a grunt.

Neither moved for a minute, both trying to catch their breath as Poe grew soft inside her. He leaned against her back, his lips finding her cheek.

“Have I mentioned that I love you?”

She laughed, shifting so he’d back up a little. As soon as he stepped back, she shimmied her skirt back down over her hips. “Once or twice.”

Poe dealt with the condom, tossing it into the trash before buckling his belt. When he was back to looking some semblance of respectable, he took her into his arms. “Then not nearly enough.” His lips found hers, the sweetness of the kiss completely at odds with what had just happened in that bathroom. “Now, are we going to talk about what that was really about?”

She looked up, recognizing that knowing look on his face. “You noticed that?”

Poe snorted. “As much fun as that was - and I am definitely not complaining - we don’t normally fuck like rabbits in airplane bathrooms.”

“Right. I may have noticed you with Zorii earlier.”

“Rey, if we’re going to start floating that I’m dating, I have to at least talk to a few women. And I’ve told you, Zorii’s safe. I am in no danger of being attracted to her.”

“I know, I know that’s the plan. But I don’t have to like it.”

“You came up with it!”

She looked down. “Details.”

“Hey, look at me.” He put a finger under her chin to bring her eyes back up to him. “If you don’t want to do this, we can stop right now. Figure out a new plan.”

“No, no. The plan is solid. And it’s our best bet to get this all out in the open.” She took a deep breath, letting it out as a sigh. “I can deal with the rest.”

He smiled, leaning over to kiss the tip of her nose. “Is it bad if I admit that the jealousy is kind of hot?”

By way of answer, she elbowed him in the gut. 

“Come on, we can still get a few hours of shut eye.” He started to lead her toward the bedroom. 

Rey planted her feet. “I can’t. People are going to notice I’m not out there.”

“Nobody’s gonna notice. They’ll just think you’re in the senior staff room.”

It was tempting. Really tempting. By this time, she’d been up for something like 24 hours. Which is why her better angels did not prevail. “Fine. Just an hour or two.”

At that, Poe leaned over, capturing her lips with his own. 

“Now, shoo!” she said, pushing him out the door. “I’ve gotta pee.” There was no way in hell she was getting her second UTI this week, and in a foreign country no less. 

When she snuck out of the suite three hours later to finish sleeping in the Senior Staff room, Rey nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned the corner to find herself face to face with her cousin.

“Shit, Ben! What are you doing in here,” she said when her heart finally slowed down. 

He looked at her like she was nuts. “Sleeping.” Then, narrowing his eyes, “What were you doing?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, attempting to buy herself time to come up with a halfway decent excuse. A lightbulb went off. “I fell asleep in the main room.” She made a mental note to tell Finn that she was with him for the flight. 

“Right,” he said, seemingly accepting her story. 

But as she settled into one of the other recliners, Rey couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the last she’d hear of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that wasn't at all ominous.
> 
> See you on Wednesday!


	13. Day 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey arrive in Prague, sharing a moment in the Old Palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, you may have noticed that Wednesday's update didn't happen. Or maybe you didn't, which is cool too. But I've been struggling to find the time to write these past few weeks, so I'm attempting to give myself permission to take my time on this. My readers tend to be amazing, so I'm hoping you guys stick with me while I try to navigate this less productive phase. Though, I'll still be posting this and two other stories (Snowed In and Disturbance) at least once a week.
> 
> Anywho, next chapter time! On the off chance that any readers are from or familiar with Prague, I hope I do it justice in this chapter. I went last year and absolutely fell in love. And if I don't, please forgive.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Prague was the stuff of dreams. Rey had been here once before with her father, but that had been so long ago it was practically a different country. Actually, it had been a different country at that point. And possibly communist. She should probably google that.

But now, it was a place of dreams. There were actual castles here. Tales of princes and princesses. Statues on bridges and puppets on strings and squares named for saints. Even stuck as she was in the motorcade, Rey couldn’t decide where to look. There was too much. And it was all too beautiful. 

They’d started in the more modern part of town, the trip from the airport taking them through what looked like any old suburbs. Houses. Stores. Apartments. A mall. They could have been literally anywhere. But as they drew closer to the city center, things got more interesting. The buildings became older. The walls higher. The squares larger. Then they hit Old Town. 

The buildings rose on either side, beige and red and terracotta. Underneath their wheels, the streets turned to stone, the car slowing to keep them from bouncing too much. A thousand churches passed by their windows, styles and architecture spanning the centuries, though each and every one left her in wonder. There were spires and arches and everything she could see looked like a palace. Pure history. It was the kind of thing straight out of a fairytale, complete with witches and dragons and maybe even damsels in distress.

Next to her, she heard an audible gasp.

Though Poe had been trying to play it cool, she knew how excited he was for this trip. Until today, he’d never been out of the country. As the only child of a single father and a farmer at that, there hadn’t exactly been money at the end of the month for European travel. 

He’d been talking about it nonstop for weeks, buying what felt like every guidebook available on Amazon (and having them sent to her place, naturally) even though they weren’t exactly here for pleasure. In fact, between the packed schedule and security concerns, there probably wouldn’t be a minute of sightseeing that wasn’t both fully guided and pre-ordained. But there was no way she was going to burst that bubble.

Surreptitiously as she could, she squeezed his hand, Poe tearing his eyes from the landscape long enough to smile at her.

His face was laid bare to her, an expression so naked in its wonder and pure joy that her heart couldn’t help but give a twist. He was the President of the United States, arguably the most powerful man in the world, and yet he was smiling like a kid on Christmas morning. Once they left this car, he’d have to school his face, be the leader they were expecting, but here, with her (and Snap), he could let that unbridled joy show.

God, she wanted to kiss him in that moment. 

But of course, even in the relative privacy of the car that was a no go. All they needed was one picture snapped through the window and they’d be goners. Until they were back on Air Force One (and honestly, even then), they had to treat it like they were on stage 24/7. So she had to satisfy herself with giving his hand another squeeze. He knew what she meant.

All too soon they were pulling up at their home for the next few days, a hotel so fancy Rey felt a little intimidated just looking at it. 

Situated on the Vltava, it was mere steps from the Charles Bridge, right in the heart of Old Town. There were several buildings clustered together around a lovely terrace, each one flaunting a different style from baroque to neoclassical to as close to modern as this city got. Across the river, she could see Prague Castle at the top of a hill, the rest of the city with its red tile roofs unfolding on terraced streets beneath. Like something out of the Brothers Grimm. 

Though she’d barely gotten two hours of sleep thanks to their... activities on the plane, being here in the midst of all this history, she found herself getting a second wind. And good thing, too. With only two and a half days here, they had quite the full schedule. 

There was a small crowd gathered in front of the hotel, some press to cover the arrivals of various dignitaries, Poe pausing to answer a few questions before their entourage went to check in.

There was just enough time to drop her bags in her room - opulent and gorgeous as expected, if a slightly obstructed view of the castle - before they were expected downstairs to get back into the motorcade. Then it was a trip to Prague Castle for a private tour with the President of the Czech Republic and other summit attendees before walking through those gorgeous terraced streets to cross the Charles Bridge. After that it was time for beer at a hall that had been in continuous operation for 500 years prior to a sprawling million course dinner at a top Prague restaurant.

It was the kind of day she’d dream of spending with Poe under any other circumstance, strolling historic avenues, touring a castle, eating local cuisine, and drinking beer made from a 500 year old recipe. Perfect. Romantic. And yet, as they piled back into the cars to make their way up the hill, she found the reality to be the farthest thing from what she’d imagined.

The streets were empty, a precaution taken by the Secret Service and local security for Poe’s sake. Even with the gorgeous sights, it was weirdly sterile, no people walking or vendors selling or musicians playing by the side of the road. In the car, they sat two feet apart thanks to the presence of an ambassador, unable to touch or talk freely as the city blew past their windows. And that’s how it would be for the rest of the day, hell, the rest of the trip, Poe always so close and yet so fucking far away.

But even her dark thoughts couldn’t diminish the beauty and grandeur as they wound their way up the hill and pulled alongside the castle, their car given special access to the grounds.

Prague Castle was a bit of a misnomer. It was an entire complex set on the hill, The Old Palace, St. Vitus’s Cathedral, St. George’s Basilica, and the Golden Lane all calling the compound home. It was massive, containing its own cobbled streets, multiple gift shops and restaurants, and even something called the Stag Moat, whatever that was. And at the far end, the gates opened directly on to the Mala Strana, a must see according to Poe’s guidebooks, eventually leading to the famous Charles Bridge. But she was getting ahead of herself. 

There was a group already waiting for them, Rey recognizing leaders from France and Italy and England and a few others mixed in with the Czech contingent. She stood a respectable number of people behind Poe, the Chief of Staff not technically important or necessary enough to warrant top billing among these folks. Here, she was just another in Poe’s entourage, destined to come last after a long line that included the VP, Secretary of State, and several ambassadors. As was proper.

The wind whipped through the ancient buildings surrounding them as Rey waited her turn and made her way down the line, sending a shiver down her spine. It was colder than she’d been expecting, but at least the sun was out.

When she finally found herself at the end of the line, she was greeted by a familiar face.

“Rey! So good to see you again. And here I was worried I’d have no one to talk to.”

It was the Canadian Prime Minister’s wife, shit what was her name again? Oh, that’s right, Sophie.

“Sophie, lovely to see you again, too. I had no idea you’d be here.” 

“I was a rather last minute addition, I must confess,” said the Prime Minister’s wife, all easy smiles. “We’ll have to catch up later.”

Over her dead body.

“Absolutely,” lied Rey through her teeth, moving to join the rest of the American party. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the woman, in fact she and her husband were two of the nicest people she’d met so far on this job. She just really didn’t feel like dodging her all too knowing eyes the entire trip. 

Oh well, perhaps it was for the best. She needed something to keep her honest.

Pictures were taken and the select journalists from attending countries asked questions, the rest of the entourages left to grow cold in the shadow of St. Vitus. Apparently, that would be their first stop before moving on to the Old Palace. 

She watched as Poe stood among the great men (and a great woman, but only one), not only holding his own, but holding court. They hung on his every word, both the world leaders and the press, laughing as he told a joke and listening intently when he answered questions with that thoughtful clarity he was known for. 

Though she loved to see him in his element, it did little but drive home the main point. If they didn’t do this right, if they slipped or got caught, then all this would be taken away from him. From them. She could include herself in that tally. And that wasn’t fair to anyone, least of all the American people.

If given the chance, Poe would do great things. They just had to get to that point.

As she stood and shivered next to Ben, she found herself wishing that Finn had come along. Apparently, a speech writer wasn’t necessary on what was essentially a press friendly tour of the country, but Rey felt his absence acutely. It would have been nice to have a friendly face to talk to. Instead, she had Ben. And no one would ever mistake his face for friendly.

After what felt like hours, they finally embarked on the first leg of the tour. Though it was built sometime in the 14th century (according to their lovely English speaking guide), St. Vitus was quite warm when they stepped inside for their tour. The whole complex had been cleared of tourists for their visit, the Summit attendees getting the entire lay of the land. 

It was massive in here, soaring gothic arches and stained glass completing the effect. The church was near silent as they walked through, the guide using hushed tones to explain the various chapels and statues and paintings. It felt a little like walking through a tomb.

Which wasn’t that far off as there were a fair amount of tombs scattered throughout, including many former kings and St. Wenceslaus himself. 

Rey’s eye was drawn toward the giant rose window presiding over the knave, the stained glass absolutely gleaming in the sunlight streaming through. It depicted the creation story, Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden all in their places. 

Toward the exit, there was a small stand enclosed in glass, a soft glow rising in the gloom. Candles lined the table - electric, so as not to burn down the historic church - Rey taking a moment to dig a koruna out of her pocket as she examined the instructions. Though she could not be considered Catholic by any standards, it felt right to drop the coin into the slot, Rey thinking of her mother as one of the bulbs burst to life.

She looked up from the candles of remembrance to find Poe standing next to her, his presence comforting even in silence. Had they been alone, she knew his arm would have been wrapped around her shoulders, drawing her close into the comfort of his embrace. But she knew he was with her as he pulled a coin from his pocket, dropping it in to remember his own lost mother. 

The moment passed, both of them turning to rejoin the group without saying a word.

The walk through the grounds to the Old Palace was energizing, the sun burning away the strange gloom that had fallen over her in the old church. Chatter picked up almost immediately, everyone seemingly glad to be rid of the hushed tones and whispered conversation.

Rey was once again surprised by the warmth of the palace, surrounded as they were by stone walls and weathered wooden floors. They walked through grand halls and 500 plus year old staircases and into a room where hundreds of coats of arms of long dead Czech nobility covered the ceilings, the guide keeping up a steady stream of facts and knowledge. 

It was mind boggling. There was nothing in America that even came close to this old. Well, nothing left in America. They did like to pretend the entire continent sprang into being in the 1600s. But this even far outdated any of that. 

There were stories, of princes and princesses, of long dead kings, of Catholic regents tossed out of windows.

At one point, Rey started to drag her feet, allowing herself to fall behind the group little by little so no one would notice. Not that she didn’t want to hear the guide, just that with all the people and chatter and security it had all started to feel like a bit much. Which is how she found herself alone in Vladislav Hall.

Or so she thought. 

It was a room of great importance, serving as a hall for the great Czech kings for most of its 500 plus year existence. Now, it was used for state functions, most notably in the swearing in of the President of the Czech Republic. Apparently, even the modern seat of government was found on these grounds. She was completely lost in her own head when a voice directly behind her nearly made her jump out of her skin.

“Rey.”

She yelped, earning a low laugh from Poe. She repaid him with a whack on the chest.

“Ow. Shh, shhh. Sorry. I didn’t realize you didn’t hear me,” but there was still a little laugh in his voice. So she whacked him again.

“Ok, ok. I’m sorry.” He put both hands up in surrender. “What’s got you so lost in thought?”

She sighed, looking out over the roped off center of the floor. It was original or close to it, and so they made the tourists walk around the edges. It shone under the natural light pouring in through the windows, leaving her with visions of kings and queens and lavish balls that maybe only happened in children’s stories and her imagination. 

“The history of this place. Can you imagine who walked on these floors? Who danced here? It’s mind blowing.”

He was examining the rib vaulting far above their heads, the intricate designs somehow making the space look even bigger than it was. And it was already huge.

Without warning, he turned to her, a smile on his face that could only mean trouble. “We should make it two more.” To her horror, he hopped over the ropes, holding out a hand. “Come on, join me.”

Rey felt her eyes go wide. “Are you nuts? What are you doing?”

“Asking you to dance.” He said it so matter of factly, like he hadn’t jumped the ropes on a 500-year old dance floor.

“We can’t be over there!” she whisper-yelled, looking back toward the room the rest of the group had disappeared into. It was only Snap there, his back turned as he watched something down the hallway. “It’s.. illegal!”

She wasn’t actually sure of that, it was probably more frowned upon than anything, but he got the point.

“What are they gonna do?” His smile turned smug. “Arrest me?”

She fixed him with a long look, hating that she still found him attractive even when he was being an ass. “You have diplomatic immunity.”

“Exactly.” He put out his hand again. “Come on, before they realize we’re not with them.”

Reluctantly, she stepped over to join him on the forbidden floor, Poe immediately bringing her into his arms. Flashbacks to the inauguration night hit her as they started to spin slowly, Poe humming a soft tune in lieu of more formal musical accompaniment.

They were cheek to cheek, Rey completely engulfed by that soap and cologne scent she loved so much. How he managed to smell that good after eight hours on a plane was beyond her. She closed her eyes. The tune he was humming started to take shape, something tickling at her memory at the sound of his lovely voice.

“Are you humming ‘It's Been a Long, Long Time?’” she asked, smiling a bit in spite of herself. This really was quite romantic when she let herself think about it. 

“Mmmhmmm.” Even without the humming, he kept her moving to a silent beat. “It’s kind of our song.”

“You just like to pretend you’re Captain America.”

He spun her out, Rey reaching the end of his arm before he tugged her back in. “And so what if I do? I am the President of the United States. Some might say a Captain of America.”

“Smug isn’t a good look on you.” 

“Come on, you love it,” he whispered directly into the shell of her ear. A shiver went through her. “One of these days, we’re not going to have to sneak away to dance or kiss. And I’m going to show the world how much I love you.”

It was a bold declaration, even for him. And yet as he twirled her around an ancient dance floor in an actual castle, she let herself believe. 

But only for a second.

“I don’t see a whole lot of kissing happening right now,” she said, choosing to ignore the riskier bits of that statement.

He pulled back long enough for her to see his smile. “I thought you’d never ask.” And then he was kissing her, the soft sway of their bodies in perfect concert with the gentle brush of his lips. The stuff of fairytales.

Did she mention that she loved this town?

A throat clearing loudly behind them broke the spell, Rey recognizing the official signal from Snap. Poe wasted no time leading her over the ropes and off the dance floor, so that when the Czech President popped his head into the room they were standing a few feet apart, gazing at that magnificent ceiling.

“There you two are,” he said, no hint that he’d seen anything that had happened between them. Snap was good at his job. “Come, come, I don’t want you to miss Vladislav’s bedroom.”

“Of course,” answered Poe, easily slipping into his official persona. “We’re right behind you.”

The other man gave a quick nod and smile before disappearing back down the hall. 

Rey’s heart hammered in her chest. That had been close. Too close for comfort. If they didn’t stop, they’d be outed before the end of this trip. Of course, Poe wasn’t on the same page.

He leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek before whispering, “Tonight,” directly into her ear.

Rey shivered. She couldn’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! What are you thinking of this one so far?


	14. Day 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cracks start to show as the current arrangement wears on Rey.

The next morning, Rey slipped out of bed well before dawn, placing a soft kiss on Poe’s forehead as he stirred. 

“Shh,” she said, brushing the hair off his forehead. He’d finally cut it, and it was still too long to be respectable. God, she loved it. “Go back to sleep.”

He mumbled something unintelligible before turning over and doing just that, the gentle snores a second later making her smile. 

It had been a late night, what with some foreign minister insisting on not one but two nightcaps with Poe down in the lobby bar. He’d snuck her his key, so Rey sat in here, waiting like a mistress or a high dollar call girl, her gaze trained across the Vltava toward the castle lit in all its glory. At least the view was good.

And yet, she didn’t even mind, not when Poe showed up well past midnight, smelling of good brandy and practically begging to undress her with his teeth.

It was a fun night.

But now, it was morning, or as close to it as they could get here, Rey once again feeling like a mistress as she dressed in her crumpled dress, carrying her heels as she tiptoed across the carpet to the door. 

A walk of shame.

One day, she told herself, taking a deep breath, one day soon they wouldn’t have to sneak around anymore. She just had to be patient.

It was a strange reversal of roles. Poe was the impatient one, the romantic, the person in their relationship who always wanted  _ morenowfaster _ . Not her. She was the cool, logical one, the one who waited for the best possible moment. But now that she’d made her choice, she wanted nothing more than to start that life she’d been promised. The one where they were together and out in the open and no one had to pay a price.

Yeah, it was a fantasy, but it sure was a pretty one.

But these days her father’s ugly words were always at the back of her mind, untrue as they were. Or, as untrue as she wanted them to be. Because wasn’t she playing right into that? Slipped hotel keys and secret meetings, stolen kisses and clandestine trysts. And she knew that if they got caught, those terrible words would be the truth forever more. So more than anything, she longed for the day when those words no longer had the power to make what they were doing feel shameful or dirty. When they could no longer reach her. 

Soon, she told herself again as she put her hand on the door. Soon.

She eased that door open, not daring to breathe as she peered outside at the person standing guard. The timing had been intentional, Rey waiting until five for Snap to come on duty. But she wasn’t about to take any risks on the off chance he was late. Or sick.

Thankfully, it was Snap standing watch, and Snap’s voice that nearly had her jumping out of her skin. 

“You can come out, Ms. Skywalker. Coast is clear.” His voice was low, his eyes never leaving their scan of the hall. If someone were to look now, they wouldn’t even realize he’d spoken. A true professional. 

Did she mention she loved this man?

“Thanks, Snap.” Yet still she hesitated on the threshold, either unable or unwilling to take that final step. A strange shame coursed through her, her earlier thoughts about mistresses and walks of shame rearing their ugly heads. She hated that there were witnesses to this, her sneaking in and out. The waiting. 

“Though that’s no guarantee it will stay that way.” There was a smile in his voice. “So, you know.”

“Right, right. I’ll just...” 

At that, she stepped into the hall, her feet sinking into the extra plush carpet. Perks of five star hotels, apparently. She wasn’t even grossed out at walking barefoot. As she opened her door, she looked over her shoulder back at Snap. “Thanks, again.”

“Of course, Ms. Skywalker.”

“You know, you can call me Rey, right?” she asked, hoping that her smile hit the right touch of wry. He had on at least one occasion seen her less than fully dressed, so at this point it felt a little formal. “I’m pretty sure you earned it.”

He gave her a rare direct look, and a smile at that. “I’ll keep that in mind, Ms. Skywalker.”

Rey shook her head. “‘Night, Snap.”

“Morning, Ms. Skywalker.”

She laughed, letting the door shut behind her. 

Her room was just as empty as she’d left it, suitcases abandoned in one corner, the bed untouched. Despite its objective opulence, it felt uninhabited, anonymous, lonely, the complete opposite of the warm room (and arms) she’d just left.

Or maybe she was projecting.

Either way, she sighed as she dropped onto the still-made bed, trying not to think of hotel comforters and what generally lurked on them. A good chief of staff would use the three or so hours until she had to be up to go through emails, catch up on what was going on in the White House while she slept. The work didn’t stop just because she was out of town. It never stopped. 

But the lack of sleep and ungodly hour pulled at her, tugging her down until her eyes closed and all thoughts of work turned to dreams of Poe.

The speech finished to thunderous applause, Poe’s reaffirmation in the climate accord and promise of a better tomorrow earning him quite the reception. Next to her, Finn’s smile was so wide, she worried it would crack his face, claps extra enthusiastic. Which made sense. It may have been Poe’s ideas, but it was Finn’s speech, his words that took the rather dull banalities of policy to that transcendent level. The level of standing ovations.

As such, she nudged his shoulder with her own, her voice barely audible over the effusion when she said, “That was one hell of a speech.”

Always the modest one, Finn waved her off. “It’s all him. That much charisma should be illegal.”

He was right about the charisma. Just not about the rest.

“Bullshit. You did good. Take the compliment.”

If it was possible, Finn’s smile went even wider. “Thanks.”

As the applause died down, and people started to file from the room - there was a reception for the speakers and contributors, the rest of them left with an evening of free time - the weight of a night spent alone in that empty museum of a hotel room always waiting, waiting pressed down on her. 

She could see the whole thing play out before her eyes. A dinner alone, room service more than likely, then she’d pass the hours going through emails and making calls until there was a knock at the door signaling that it was time to go be with Poe.

No. 

It was her last night in a beautiful, foreign country, with a sprawling city center and more history and nightlife than she knew what to do with. There was no way she was going to spend it sitting in a hotel room, waiting for one man to summon her.

An idea started to take form. 

“We should celebrate,” she said to Finn, gaining steam as the plan took form in her head. “Head out on the town. See the real Prague, no tour guides.”

Not that she was against tour guides, in fact the whole crew had spent the day at Vyšehrad, touring churches and cemeteries and even the very walls of the old fortress, ending in a giant underground hall filled with some of the original statues from the Charles bridge. 

Naturally, Poe had pulled her away from prying eyes and into the narrow casemates for a quick kiss among the five foot thick stone walls that had been standing for hundreds of years. 

“Are you sure?” Finn looked sceptical but excited as he dragged her from her daydreams. “You don’t have any…” he trailed off gesturing with his hands, “official business to attend to?”

As if on cue, her phone buzzed, Rey taking one glance at Poe’s name on the screen and sending it to voicemail.

“Nah, let’s paint the town.”

And paint the town they did, Rey swiping one of Poe’s guidebooks for a walking tour. They managed to find the Astronomical Clock, watching the procession of the twelve apostles as it struck six. They wound their way through the streets, stopping in shops that sold gorgeous bohemian crystal and jewels. They watched a puppet show in a hidden square. By some miracle, they managed to talk their way into a table at a tiny little Italian place, the fresh pasta some of the best she’d ever had (and she’d been to Italy). Finally, full to bursting and a little drunk on wine, they made their way across the city to Wenceslas Square.

And all the while, Rey’s phone continued to buzz, a steady stream of calls and texts that finally caused her to shut off her personal phone. 

The square was lit up in all its glory, most of the shops closed thanks to the hour, but there were dozens of little sidewalk cafes to stroll by, and plenty of good Czech beer to be had. Though the night air contained a bit of chill, that’s exactly where they found themselves, a perfect little patio with a full view of the square, two beers in front of them.

“This was fun,” said Finn, apropos of nothing, not bothering to keep the astonishment out of his voice. His eyes were a little shiny in the streetlights. Yup, they were definitely a little drunk. “You’re fun.”

She snorted into her beer. “Gee, thanks. Way to sound surprised at that.”

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” He waved off her concern.

“Well, then what do you mean?”

“We just don’t get to hang out a lot anymore.” When she continued to give him a blank look, he elaborated. “You know..” There was a pause. “Because you and the President.”

He said it so nonchalantly. You and the President. Like it was not her most heavily guarded secret in the entire world. Her blood ran cold.

Suddenly, she didn’t feel very tipsy anymore.

“Me… and the President?” 

Finn’s face fell slightly. “Yeah. You know. Your thing.” When Rey still didn’t answer, he sighed. “Please don’t make me say it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied, her hammering heart threatening to give her away.

“You guys are together,” Finn said slowly, like he was explaining it to a toddler. “You have been forever. At least, since I’ve known you.”

“Did Rose tell you?” She was going to kill Rose when she got back. Walk right up to her and murder her on the podium in front of God and all the fucking press. 

Somehow, that only made Finn look more confused. “No, Rose didn’t say anything. Wait, is this some kind of a secret?”

“Yes, this is a secret!” she whisper-yelled back at him. Who knew who was listening, even though there wasn’t anyone really near enough to hear them. “What did you think this was?”

“I don’t know, I thought it was pretty obvious! We just didn’t talk about it.”

“Oh my god.” She dropped her head into her hands. “Oh my god. Who else knows?”

“I have no clue. Like I said, we don’t exactly sit around talking about it.” He leaned back in his chair, taking a draft of beer. Then waving to the waitress for another round. Once that was taken care of, he leaned back in. “Maybe it’s just cause I know you guys. Cause I was around in the beginning. Maybe no one else knows.”

Rey mulled that over. True that Rose had no clue. Maybe Finn was just exceptionally perceptive.

Or maybe they really were just that transparent. 

Rey decided to go with the former. “Well, Rose certainly seemed surprised when I told her.”

“You told Rose?” Finn had the audacity to look a little hurt at that.

“Really? That’s what you want to talk about right now?” 

They both cut off when the waitress returned with their fresh drinks, Rey needing that carbonation in her belly more than ever as she took a gulp. 

And it was with that bubbly feeling that she made her way back to her room a few hours later, nodding as she passed the not-Snap agent in front of Poe’s door. Their contingent had the entire floor, so once she passed the initial checkpoint, she was home free.

As she inserted the key and the door gave it’s cheerful little ping to admit her, all she wanted was her bed. Between the beer and the hours and hours of walking, not to mention the revelations of the evening, she was more than ready to sleep the entire 12 hours until they boarded Air Force One tomorrow.

Too bad that wasn’t in the cards.

Because no sooner had she dropped her bag on the little side table than her door gave another, equally cheerful ping, Rey barely having enough time to panic before two Secret Service Agents entered the room. They made a quick, but thorough, sweep of the rooms while Rey attempted to dislodge her heart from her throat, already spoiling for a fight when Poe strode into the room after the all clear.

“Where were you?” he snapped by way of hello, obviously not reading the room or her body language. “I was worried sick.”

She blinked at him in confusion. “I was with Finn, sightseeing. And then we got dinner.”

“I called you like six times.”

Even on a good day, one where she hadn’t just learned that Finn knew everything and agents hadn’t just broken into her hotel room, that wouldn’t have flown with her. And today was definitely not a good day. So that confusion didn’t last long.

“Good for you,” she spat back, about done with this shit. Who the hell did he think he was? “I was out with a friend. A mutual friend. And weren’t you at some reception and dinner anyway?”

He looked at her like she was nuts. “Yeah, and then I came back here and–”

She immediately cut him off. “And what? I wasn’t here waiting for you like the good little mistress? Always at your beck and call.”

“Don’t call yourself that!” His face twisted in anger, he turned from her to pace the room, one hand running through his curls in frustration. “That’s not what I was thinking and you know it.”

“Then what were you thinking?” God, it had been a long time since they’d fought like this. If they’d ever fought like this. Sure, they’d gotten into it a few times over the years, but she honestly couldn’t remember an all out shouting match quite like this one. “Please, enlighten me.”

“I was thinking that you were out well past midnight in foreign country with no security and you weren’t picking up your fucking phone!” 

Well. When he put it like that.

Seeing all the steam go out of her, Poe lowered his voice, his own anger ebbing away with hers. 

“I had no clue you were with Finn.” He took a step forward, Rey noticing for the first time that he was in his shirtsleeves, tie loosened and sleeves rolled to reveal those tan forearms. Like he’d been pacing the entire she’d been gone. He grabbed one of her hands, tracing the knuckles with his thumb. “I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t excuse it, but I was terrified.”

Something inside her melted just a little at that. She stepped closer. “I’m sorry. For not checking in. I didn’t think.”

“Kiss and make up?” Though she would have sworn the fire from their fight had gone out, judging by the look in his eyes, there was still apparently a spark. Of a different kind.

She looped her arms around his neck. “I think we can do better than that.”

The last thing she saw before he closed the distance was the wolfish smile on his face. And then all she knew was Poe’s mouth on hers, his body leading her back, back, back until the backs of her knees hit bed, both of them tumbling down in a pile of limbs.

They wasted no time, clothes hitting the floor at a breakneck pace, stopping only for Poe to find a condom in her bag before he was pushing in.

It was fast, nothing like the tender marathon of lovemaking from last night. No, this was a release of tension, quick and dirty and wholly focused on one goal and one goal alone. One that they managed to reach in near record time. 

After, they laid panting, not quite touching on top of the bed. A silence had fallen over them, that spark of passion dying out to leave them strangely cold. Like a fire doused. 

Now was as good a time as any, she supposed.

“Finn knows.” She felt the bed move as Poe turned his head to her, keeping her eyes trained on the gorgeous tray ceiling above them. It was weird to have him not touching her, the sweat drying on her skin bringing gooseflesh. She suppressed a shiver. “About us.”

When he didn’t say anything, she finally turned to look at him, finding his face a mess of worry.

And when she woke alone the next morning, it was no surprise at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ominous. 
> 
> Anyway, next chapter is a big one. As is the one after that. So stay tuned and see you on Monday!
> 
> Oh, and as always, thanks for reading!


	15. Day 70

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the disastrous trip to Prague, Poe and Rey attempt to navigate a new, cooled down version of their relationship to varying success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! I've been on a bit of a writing tear lately, so I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor.

It wasn’t a fight.

This.. whatever they were in. The not-a-fight. Their fights burned hot, incendiary almost, and this… well this was something cool, almost cold, a cooling off period. Strange and off-putting and knocking her off balance. Not a fight. Something else entirely.

Because they were still talking. And working. And even fucking. But since that night in Prague and the fight and knowledge that Finn knew about them without being told, something had felt off. Like they were slightly miscalibrated. Them, but a little off to the left. 

Before Prague, they’d essentially shacked up, Rey spending that entire week at the Residence and in his bed. There was a row of her suits and dresses in his closet, a little bag of her toiletries in the bathroom, pajamas she rarely got around to using in a drawer he’d cleared for her. It felt a little like playing house. So when that bubble burst only a week later, it almost felt fitting. Icarus flying too close to the sun. 

Every night turned into every other, every other turned into once or twice a week, and once or twice a week had turned into Rey taking her things - ostensibly to swap them out at home - and conveniently forgetting them every day since. That had been a week ago.

Whatever. She’d been with him long enough to know that this too shall pass. Anyway, there was plenty of work to get done in the meantime. 

The day was fast approaching that Poe’s stimulus bill would hit the floor, the first real test of his Presidency. It was huge, and very public, and if it failed then it failed to an audience of the entire American people. Hell, the entire world. 

If it failed, then he failed.

Not that the damn thing was even recognizable anymore. Death by a thousand cuts, that’s what the past weeks had felt like, making deals and weakening the legislation until it was barely a watered down version of itself. But the bones were still there. And there was still good being done. And as she was learning, some good was better than no good at all.

But she didn’t have to like it.

Maybe that was why things were so weird between her and Poe. Stress. Annoyance. The fact that neither of them could apparently get the job done. Thirty days. And counting. Things would get better after he signed the bill. She hoped.

_ (Please let them get better.) _

Yet, thirty days felt like a lifetime away as they all sat in the Oval, going over last minute preparations for Poe’s trip. 

It would be his longest one yet, a nearly weeklong excursion kicking off as soon as this meeting ended that included numerous stops in Asia, meeting with leaders and possibly brokering a nifty little deal in the process. The kind of trip and bold thinking that could cement his Presidency as one of the greats. And in the first hundred days, no less.

The kind of trip Rey hadn’t even been invited on.

She tried to put it from her mind. The Chief of Staff’s job - her job - was here, in the White House. Running the day to day things so the President could run the country. She truly had no business on trips abroad. But.

Before Prague, he would have asked. Before Prague, she would have turned him down. Before Prague, he would have pushed and pushed until she agreed to go.

Maybe this was better. Safer for them both. The Finn news had thrown them for a loop, after all. And as she hated to admit, if Finn knew, then surely others did as well. But it still stung. 

So, she tried once more to put it from her mind and focus on prep.

There were several people in the room with them, an ambassador, the Secretary of State, some aides, and even someone they’d dubbed the Culture Coach, his entire job to ensure Poe didn’t offend anyone and accidentally start a world incident. 

It was that Culture Coach, a guy named Beau, who was currently talking. 

“So that’s South Korea. Now, Japan is a whole different story…”

Rey tuned him out, words she wouldn’t need in Japanese - for “hello” and “thank you” and “I am delighted to be here” - washing over her. Next to her, Finn furiously scribbled, taking notes on things to say and do and what to add into and leave out of speeches. There were multiple addresses scheduled, and Poe had decided early on that Finn needed to be there. Just in case. Because apparently Finn was necessary and she was not. Because apparently phones and email didn’t work when the President was abroad. Because somehow Finn knew about them and he was being rewarded while she was being punished. 

She swallowed down that surprise bit of resentment. It wasn’t a good look on her. 

And her staff would probably agree.

She’d spent the last few weeks snapping at interns and staffers, a perma-scowl on her face. These days when she walked through the halls, they parted like the Red Sea, people scattering so as not to garner her attention - or her ire.

But as she looked at Poe now, her frown definitely starting to give her wrinkles, she had to wonder if he’d even realized this strangeness that had cropped up between them. Because there was that easy laugh as Beau made a joke, nothing about his lingering smile forced or fake. It was like their not-a-fight had gone completely unnoticed by him. 

And maybe it had. Maybe the whole thing was in her head. Maybe she was making mountains out of molehills and the Asia tour decision was just that - a simple business decision and nothing more. 

Or maybe they were further gone than she’d realized. 

At this point, she didn’t even know which was worse. 

Logically, she knew a conversation could clear a lot of this up, but every time she tried, something stopped her just short. No matter how she tried to phrase it, she hated how the words sounded, so insecure, so unsure of herself and their relationship. That wasn’t her. It never had been. She was the stolid one, the steadying hand, the one who set a course and took action. Hell, she’d been the one to suggest the separation for an entire term. Well, technically two terms, if that was in the cards. So how had she wound up here?

It certainly hadn’t helped that the news outlets - in their always impeccable timing - had chosen that week to pick up on the crumbs they’d been dropping, breaking the story that Poe was a PRESIDENT ON THE PROWL (yes, that was an actual headline) when they’d “found” he and Zorii out for a drink. It had all been carefully orchestrated, of course, and practically spoon fed to the media, but it still felt a little like a punch to the gut every time she saw it. 

As they moved on to bowing and handshake protocols that she would never need, Rey attempted to catch Poe’s eye from across the table. It was nothing flamboyant, she just knew that if she looked at him for more than a second, he’d feel her gaze and meet it for just a second, an old and familiar sign that they were with each other even when they couldn’t be. They’d spent years perfecting it in boardrooms and offices in Yavin, and now in D.C. it was practically down to a science. 

So it was very, very obvious when she tried to catch his eye a moment later only to have him look absolutely anywhere but her. The table, his binder, even Finn, as long as it was not Rey Skywalker, he was all over it. And when there was nowhere else he could possibly glance, he caught her eyes for a fraction of (a fraction of) a second before looking away as quickly as he could.

Nope. Definitely not in her head.

She sat back, intent to let the rest of the meeting wash over her. There were 75 things she should be doing at the moment, least of which was prepping for her meeting with Hux that afternoon. Oh yes, Poe would be on Air Force One, off to exotic lands, and she’d be hoofing it over to the Russell building for a one-on-one with the Senate Majority Leader. Lucky her. 

But instead of prepping or working with Rose on the next round of press releases or even just making her inbox slightly less hellacious, she was here, letting Poe ignore her and hearing all the magnificent sights he’d be seeing. 

Yeah, it was really doing wonders for her mood.

By some act of God, they finally called it quits, the meeting breaking up so everyone (but her) could collect their bags and head for Air Force One. 

She was starting to file out with the rest of them when Poe raised his voice above the thrum of voices, “Hey Rey, could you stick around for a minute? 

So he did still recognize her. Who knew.

Rey did as requested, trying not to notice the way Finn was definitely trying not to look at them, her knowledge of his knowledge leaving everything a little off kilter between them. 

Poe waited until the last person had left and the door closed behind them before he asked, “Are you ready for the meeting with Hux today? I don’t want this trip to derail the negotiations so close to the vote.”

She tried not to show her disappointment. Of course it was about work. They were in the Oval fucking Office. This was not the place for him to say something profound about their relationship or the upcoming separation, though she’d be kidding herself if she pretended they hadn’t used this room for a lot more than just business matters. That desk, too, if she was being honest.

Rey put it from her mind. If Poe wanted to keep this professional, then professional it would be.

“I’ve got the latest draft, and I’m prepared to make the concessions we’d discussed. But only if he asks for them.”

“Who are we kidding? We both know he’s going to ask for them.” Poe fixed her with a wry smile.

Rey returned his smile, and for a second it was them against the world. Like it used to be. Like it had always been. 

In the next second it was gone, Poe’s face turning back into that impassive politeness he’d been using against her all week. “Right. I shouldn’t keep you. Gotta run up to the Residence before Marine One gets here, anyway.”

She could recognize a dismissal when she heard it, Rey turning to exit the room without the grand goodbye she’d been imagining. But his mention of the Residence sparked something.

“Hey, that reminds me, could you let someone know that I’m gonna drop by later? I’m pretty sure I left my good suede pumps upstairs, and I need them for next week.”

“You did. I noticed them in my dressing room last night.” A small smile graced his lips. “I’ll let them know you’ll be by.”

“Thanks.” 

She turned again to leave, Poe’s voice stopping her once again before she could reach the door.

“You know, you could stay there,” he said, the words just as tentative as the hope on his face. “In the residence. If you wanted to. Even when I’m gone.”

It sounded a little like an olive branch. But she wasn’t sure if she could accept it just yet.

“I wouldn’t want to be a bother. You can just drop the shoes with the downstairs guard.”

“It’s not a bother. It’s never a bother.” He stepped forward, attempting to close the distance between them. “I miss you.”

“I’m right here. I didn’t go anywhere.” Her voice cracked on the last word, Poe flinching as if she’d slapped him. 

He was standing right in front of her, and he still felt miles away. 

“I know these last few weeks have been less than ideal.” Rey tried not to snort at the understatement of the century. He looked down at the overly plush carpeting. “But when everything came to a head in Prague…” he trailed off, either unable or unwilling to finish that sentence.

But Rey took a step closer. “I know. It freaked me out, too.” Then she reached out, Poe immediately pulling her into a bone crushing hug.

It felt so right, even though they weren’t remotely close to having talked it through, that she melted into the embrace, letting herself have it just this once. They had a lot to work through and even more to discuss. But this seemed like a step in the right direction. 

As if sensing the moment, her phone gave a cheerful ping. 

“That would be my notice that the car’s ready to take me to Russell,” she said into his shoulder, the irony not lost on her. 

“I want to work through this. Once I’m back.” He squeezed her even tighter against him. “As soon as I’m back. Will you come?”

Now this felt more like them. The people they’d always been. They were problem solvers, the people who faced issues head on, even when those issues were of their own making. None of this passive aggressive nonsense. As such, Rey finally accepted that olive branch. 

“I’ll be waiting for you in the residence when you land,” she promised, not caring if it was in the middle of the night or the middle of the day. It didn’t matter. She’d be there.

A second cheerful ping well and truly broke the mood, Poe releasing her.

“That would be my second warning. The Secret Service are really sticklers for that punctuality.”

“Don’t I know it.” He sighed, looking down at where he’d grabbed her hands, not quite ready to let her go just yet. “This job really makes it difficult, doesn’t it?”

She looked into those caramel dark eyes, seeing her own pain reflected right back at her. “It’ll keep. The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? That means we’re halfway there. The rest we’ll figure out when you get back.”

He smiled, leaning over to press the softest kiss to her waiting lips. Not a goodbye, but a to be continued. 

“Can’t wait,” he said, pulling back. 

“Safe travels, Mr. President.” She took a backwards step, not quite willing to look away from him yet. And good thing, too. Had she turned around, she would have missed the fire in his eyes, the playful smile on his lips.

“You too, Ms. Skywalker.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m just going down the street.”

“Still.”

Her hand was on the door. “See you soon.”

Poe simply nodded in acknowledgement.

And then she was in the hall, taking a deep breath as she faced Ms. D’Acy’s disapproving stare. It was like that woman knew exactly what had transpired. And who knew, maybe she did. That seemed to be going around here. “Good day, Ms. D’Acy.”

“Mmhmm,” she said by way of answer, immediately going back to whatever she was typing. 

A third ping told her she was perilously close to both losing her ride and showing up late to Hux’s office, Rey hightailing it toward the pool cars post haste. It was nearly a miracle that she’d had the forethought to bring her documents with her to the Oval, Rey thanking her past self for being a little more put together than the current one. 

She made it to the car in near-record time, dropping into the backseat with an audible “oof.” It was a fairly standard issue sedan, comfortable but with none of the amenities of a true presidential vehicle. Then again, Rey wasn’t sure she needed a bullet proof, bomb proof, chemical attack proof vehicle to drive her down the street. No, the standard would do.

Though she really should have been going through her email - that meeting had been incessantly long and she could only imagine the state of her inbox - she couldn’t focus on anything but the conversation she’d just left.

While it was a far cry from a reconciliation, it certainly felt better than the limbo-like purgatory they’d been stuck in these weeks. As they sailed down 6th on route to Constitution (a damn near miracle at this time of day), she couldn’t help but feel a little– optimistic was the wrong word. Seemed like she was tempting fate. Maybe positive? No, still true strong. Hopeful? Yes, for the first time since they’d danced in a literal castle, she felt hopeful. Hopeful that they were on the right track. Hopeful that they could figure this out. Hopeful for the future. 

And when an ear splitting crash ripped through the car a minute later, it was that hope on her mind as the world went black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *runs and hides*
> 
> Uh, so what do you think? I doubt I need to remind you that I only do happy endings, but I will anyway. Just in case. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and hope to see you next Monday!


	16. Day 70 - Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe receives disturbing news as he gets ready to leave on his tour of Asia.

Poe watched her leave the Oval, not quite daring to let hope creep in. It had been weeks of cold war between them, an uneasy detente after the massive blow up in Prague. Finn knew. Rey freaked. He yelled. What a fucking mess.

And then, like the baby he was, he’d spent the last however many days since subtly (or based on her reaction, maybe not so subtly) pushing her away. Thankfully, none of them had done something stupid. Mutually assured destruction and all that. But now, there was a glimmer of hope. All he had to do was make it through this trip.

Well, that was probably simplifying things. He had to make it through this trip, come back, talk it out, and still make it to the other side of this bill before they could even think of next steps toward going public. But it was progress. And he loved progress.

Unfortunately, it would have to wait. Duty called. 

He knew that his carefully packed bags (by a steward, not him) would already be on Air Force One, but he needed to run up to the residence to grab his go-bag. And say goodbye to Bee, of course. He made his way toward the door.

WIth a nod, he said goodbye to Ms. D’Acy, her “See you on the 20th,” coming complete with a knowing little smile. In his periphery, he felt, more than saw, when Snap and Iolo peeled off to follow him, his ever-present shadows. Generally, it was just Snap when they were in the House (as he liked to call it), but with a trip they always increased the number. By the time he made it to South Korea, there would be seven or eight around him at all times. While it was not his idea of fun, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about exposing his secrets to all of them on this trip. You know, since Rey wasn’t coming. 

He’d gotten reckless in Prague. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Even Snap had looked at him like he was nuts when he’d dragged Rey onto that dance floor. They’d been taking bigger and bigger risks since Camp David and getting away with each and every one, so why not? The answer came swiftly and surely in the form of that fight a night later.

It killed him that he hadn’t seen it. He was the intuitive one, goddamnit. Rey called him mushy (a counterpoint to her cool logic), and she wasn’t wrong. So how the hell had he missed how she’d been feeling?

Because of course hindsight was 20/20 and of course he’d missed all the signs. Rey’s strange impulsiveness, the wishy-washy decisions, abandoning her plan almost as soon as she’d made it. Not to mention that strange streak of jealousy he’d definitely profited from on Air Force One. Rey did not get jealous. Full stop. He should have known something was up right then and there.

Fucking Luke Skywalker. That’s what this was. He’d gotten into her head.

He wasn’t ashamed to admit that his mind had whited out when she’d used that word on herself. Mistress. 

Shame had bubbled through him, hot and liquid and easily mistaken for anger. Not at her, but at himself. For making her feel that way. 

_ You’re going to ruin her life, you know that. _

Apparently, Luke hadn’t only gotten into Rey’s head that morning.

Fuck Luke Skywalker. That’s what he’d meant to say all along.

Poe found himself at the top of the steps in the Residence, not completely sure how he’d ended up here. Lord only knew what he’d looked like stomping through the halls in what Rey affectionately referred to as “a mood,” but it was too late now. 

The jingle of tags heralded Bee’s arrival to the proceedings, the little corgi doing his best impression of running to greet him. 

“Hey, buddy,” said Poe, showering the little stinker in belly rubs. He’d just this week chewed through a rather expensive tie, earning himself a trip to the vet in the process. God, he loved this guy.

Bee had been yet another brain child of Rey, his then campaign advisor insisting that a good President needed a dog.

“You just want a dog,” he’d insisted, his fingers finding that ticklish spot at her waist. Had he mentioned that they’d been naked in bed at the time? Because they had. “And anyway, we just started the exploratory committee. We’re not even sure I’m running yet.”

Rey recovered from her giggles enough to roll her eyes. She’d always been so sure of him, his ability to be President. For her, it was already a foregone conclusion. “Well, just in case, we need to establish you as a pet owner. Wouldn’t want it to look like you’re doing it for the votes, now would we?”

Now it was Poe’s turn to roll his eyes. But Rey was Rey and so the next day there was a list of acceptable rescue organizations on his desk, a little sticky note next to one entitled “Pawsome Pals Pet Rescue” which in Rey speak meant “go here first.”

Which he did. And he knew his job here. Find a scruffy but lovable companion, one that definitely needed him but was undeniably presidential. A shepherd or spaniel or retriever. So when he got there and found this lovable guy, a pup who would simultaneously fill Rey’s requirement and also annoy her just a little (Bee was anything but “presidential”), the deal was done.

Joke was on him, though. As soon as he brought Bee home, Rey was instantly wrapped around the dog’s paws, helpfully pointing out that he’d now have a good conversation starter with the Queen of England.

Of course, he would.

But it didn’t matter how he got here, Bee was one of the family. One he had to leave alone now all too often. 

“Sorry, buddy but I’ve got to go. Don’t worry, the nice dogwalker will be here. The one you like. And Rey may stop by.” At her name, Bee looked up, suddenly interested. “Yeah, we love Rey. Soon, buddy. Soon.”

Belly sufficiently rubbed, Poe got back up, not bothering to brush the dog hair off him. Someone would get him with a lint roller before he got onto Marine One. They always did. 

He went into his dressing room to grab the small carry-on, his eye catching on a glint of metal on the table there.

His mother’s ring. He’d taken it off back when he and Rey decided to put a pause on things, wait until after he was out of office to figure out the rest of their lives. That ring was a promise, and since he wasn’t making any of those any time soon, it felt right. But lately, he’d been thinking about it more and more, missing its familiar weight around his neck enough to dig it out yesterday. Sure, they still had a ways to go, but he had hope. No, hope wasn’t the right word. He had faith. Faith that they’d figure this out. Faith that they’d be together in the end.

So he dropped the chain over his head, loosening his tie enough to tuck it under his shirt. Next to his heart. Where it belonged.

The next hour was a blur of the usual travel bullshit. A photo op on the way to Marine One. A couple of comments to the press. Another photo op boarding Air Force One.

He was on that last step before he could collapse in solitude on the plane, the wave to the American people, when Snap found his way discreetly to him. 

“Sir.”

“Yes, Snap?” answered Poe, trying not to move his lips as he smiled and waved. 

The man hesitated. Snap never hesitated. It was enough to stop Poe mid wave. “What’s going on?” 

Iran? Russia? Did he have to use the nuclear football? Because he really never wanted to use the nuclear football.

Of course, it was much worse than all that.

“Sir, it’s Ms. Skywalker.” He cleared his throat. “It’s Rey. There’s been an accident.”

For the first time in his life, Poe knew true fear. The kind of fear that even speaking to 200 million Americans the night of the State of the Union couldn’t instill. 

Distantly, he knew he’d stopped waving, that the smile had fully fallen off his face. There were whispers from the gathered press. Things he knew Rey would have hated had she been here.

“Is she…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish that sentence. But Snap had his back.

“She’s critical but stable and on route to GW for assessment via life flight.” He swallowed. “It was pretty bad. They had to cut her out of the car.”

Those words bounced around his skull. Bad. Critical. Life flight. Cut.

“The driver?” 

“Shaken up and a little bruised, but he’ll be ok. Impact was on the back passenger side.”

Poe nodded, the words meaning less than nothing to him. He needed to focus on something concrete, details that he could fix.

“Ok, reroute the chopper. I want her brought to Walter Reed immediately. The driver, too.” It was a good hospital, the best since that was where he was supposed to go in an emergency. Plus, he was pretty sure they had to answer to him there. 

Snap looked a little skeptical, but he immediately made a call. 

While he did that, Poe looked around, taking in the confused press and the anxious looks of his own staff milling around. He locked eyes with Finn just across the way. It clicked immediately.

They knew what had happened. Everyone knew about the accident, that Rey was injured, and they’d actually debated telling him. 

Fuck all that.

“They’re rerouting the helicopter. She’ll be arriving at Walter Reed shortly.” Snap clicked off whatever call he’d been on.

“Good. So will we. Bring the car around.”

At that, Snap sputtered. “Sir, I don’t think– I’m not sure–”

Poe didn’t have the time or the patience for an argument, especially not with his own secret service. He looked Snap dead in the eye, adopting that tone that Rey called “President No Nonsense.” “Ready the car. Unless you think that Marine One would be more expedient.”

Snap was a good man. He knew when he’d been beaten. 

“The chopper would definitely be more expedient.”

Poe nodded. “Then let’s go with that.”

It all happened quickly after that, his staff trying and failing to convince him to go on the trip anyway, the press buzzing at whatever was pulling him away. He gave a quick statement that a White House staff member had been in an accident, and that he’d be postponing his trip until he could check on them. Which was technically true. And hopefully wouldn’t raise any red flags. Well, at least not too high.

It felt like an eternity before he set down at the military hospital, though logically he knew it was probably only a few minutes. But he’d lived an entire life in his own panic during those minutes, all the possible scenarios running through his head. But one more than the others.

What if he lost her?

By the time they set down on the helipad, he’d convinced himself of just that, every look shared between his detail or expression from the waiting team of doctors interpreted as her doom. 

One of those doctors detached from the pack, meeting his crew halfway. “Is everything alright, Mr. President!” he shouted above the noise of Marine One, his pristine white lab coat waving in the wind.

Poe was sure they’d been briefed in some way, but he didn’t have time for admonishments. So he cut to the chase. 

“I’m here for Rey Skywalker!”

Something passed over the doctor’s face, and Poe recognized him suddenly. It was the same doctor who had performed Poe’s physical upon starting this job. Now that he thought about it, the man was most likely his personal physician, his entire job to keep Poe breathing over the next four years. He probably should have known the man’s name, but he had aides and secretaries for that kind of thing. Anyway, he was healthy as a horse. Probably never even see the guy except for the physicals. But Rey would know his name. And Poe did not like the look on his face.

The doctor, whose name Poe couldn’t remember if his life depended on it, shot a nervous look at his colleagues before turning back to Poe and giving him a nod. “Follow me, Mr. President!”

The hall they entered was almost too quiet after the nonstop racket of Marine One, Poe’s ears ringing at the sudden silence. 

“How is she?” Poe was aware that he was speaking too loud, but found that he couldn’t be fucked about it.

Again that nervous look. “Sir, with all due respect, I can’t tell you.”

“I am well aware of HIPAA laws. And I don’t care.”

“Sir…”

“Dr,” he looked at the name neatly embroidered on that perfect white coat, “Robertson are you a member of the United States Military?”

Dr. Robertson swallowed audibly. “Yes, sir.”

“Then I am your Commander in Chief?”

“Yes, sir.”

Oh, Poe would hate himself for this one later. And who knew, he could probably get impeached for it. He was breaking a law, after all. But in that moment, all that mattered was getting to Rey.

“So, when I ask you to take me to Rey Skywalker and brief me on her condition, you will not be ignoring a direct command?”

The other man sighed. “No, sir. This way.”

He led Poe down the labyrinth of halls, each one identical and empty due to his presence. The doctor looked down at the iPad in his hands, tapping the screen.

“So, it looks like we’ve only had an opportunity to assess her at this point. She’s unconscious, stable but critical.”

Poe interrupted. “What does that mean?”

“It means while her situation and injuries are very serious, we don’t believe she’s in imminent danger of dying.” The breath left Poe in a rush. “We have her in MRI right now, then she’ll get a CT. After that we’ll have a better idea of what we’re dealing with.”

Poe’s voice was barely more than a whisper when he said, “Her dad, someone needs to call her father.” And it sure as fuck wouldn’t be him.

“Of course. He’s her emergency contact. We did that as soon as she arrived.”

Poe blinked, willing the tears that had filled his eyes not to fall. Dr. Robertson put a hand on his shoulder.

“All we can do right now is wait. We’ll know more in an hour.” Poe nodded automatically, the words not really sinking in. “Let me show you to the waiting room.”

Which is where he still was nearly two hours later. Every minute felt like a lifetime as he stared at the same wall, the wallpaper peeling slightly in one corner. You’d think they’d take better care of this place. 

Whether this was a no news is good news situation or something else was anyone’s guess, but Poe couldn’t help but feel his hope deflate a little more with each tick of the clock on the opposite wall.

It was quite possible he was losing his mind. 

His leg wouldn’t stop bouncing, there was a twitch in his left eye, and he’d tugged on his curls so much that he was surprised he had any hair left at all; for all intents and purposes, he’d become a basketcase.

Basketcase. What a funny word. Sounded like something your 90 year old maiden aunt would say. Poe laughed, the sound sharp and echoey in this fucking place.

Across the room, Snap looked up, concerned. Exactly the kind of look you’d give a basketcase.

As if they could sense his impending mental breakdown - his thoughts had started to pulse, a single word over and over: Rey, Rey, Rey, Rey - a small group of doctors chose that moment to enter the room. 

Silence descended, Poe and his little security team looking up as one. He tried to guess what was happening based on the rather stoic looks on their faces, parsing each tick and twitch for some hidden meaning. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait all that long.

“She’s resting comfortably,” the lead doctor announced, cutting immediately to the chase. Poe liked him. “Still not awake, but we put her on some pretty hefty painkillers, so that’s to be expected. Two fractured ribs, a mild concussion, a hairline fracture in her wrist, and some deep bruising, but all in all, she’s in a lot better shape than we’d expected for someone not wearing a seatbelt.” Poe huffed. They obviously had a very different idea of what “in better shape” meant. It took a second for that second piece to sink in. Not wearing a seatbelt. “We’re going to monitor her closely for any internal bleeding we may have missed, but with a little rest, she’ll make a full recovery.”

Poe heaved a sigh of relief so heavy he thought he was going to throw up. Nope, not a sigh, a sob. It was a sob of relief.

“Mr. President, would you like to see her now?”

Poe was on his feet in an instant. “Of course.”

Once again he found himself in the labyrinthine halls, Snap out ahead and Iolo behind, the processional silently following the head doctor as he brought them to a nondescript room in yet another nondescript hallway. Poe hardly noticed the security anymore, more evidence that humans could get used to just about anything, but that day he nearly burst of his skin waiting for Snap to sweep the room before allowing him entry.

She looked so small in the hospital bed, her face a mess of scrapes and bruises, one eye quite obviously swollen shut. Later, there would be shiners. But the steady rise and fall of her chest (she was breathing on her own, how had they ever taken that for granted?) gave him some modicum of hope. She was here. She was still here.

Poe touched her hand carefully, obstructed as it was by tape and needle and IV tubes. So small and frail. So unlike the woman he loved.

Snap closed the door to give them privacy.

“Hey, I’m here, Sunshine,” he whispered, unsure if she could hear or not. “Come back to me. I’m not going anywhere.”

And so began his vigil. Poe pulled up the single chair in this tiny room (he’d talk to someone about that later) and attempted to make himself as comfortable as possible. Time passed. There were no clocks in here, so only the fading sun outside the window marked time’s passage. He slept. When he woke, it was full dark, Poe blinking in confusion in the semi-dark room. 

So it hadn’t been a dream.

A rustle drew his attention to the bed, where Rey shifted, as if waking from a long sleep. Which he supposed was true. 

He was on his feet in an instant, taking her hand as carefully and tenderly as he could so as not to cause her further pain.

“Hey, come on. Come back to me, Sunshine.” 

Her eyes fluttered. He held his breath. Finally, that gorgeous hazel appeared, blinking and bleary as she attempted to bring him into focus.

“There she is,” he said, the tears in his eyes spilling over. “Welcome back.”

She blinked several times, a soft smile playing across her lips, before her face fell.

“Why the hell aren’t you in South Korea?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> President!Poe POV for the win. Now for some healing.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	17. Day 71

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey wakes up in the hospital to a few surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I heard there was some major event today for us Americans. Something about a president? Just kidding, happy Inauguration Day! 
> 
> In honor of this momentous occasion, have an extra dose of President!Poe.

Everything hurt. From the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. It was the first thing she recognized as sleep left her, the world fuzzy and she groggy as she struggled against its heavy hold. 

Then she heard his voice.

“Hey, come on. Come back to me, Sunshine.”

She swallowed painfully, her mouth dry and foul tasting. Her eyes fluttered, fighting her every inch of the way. Finally, finally, finally, those eyes opened, a few blinks bringing Poe’s handsome face into focus above her.

“There she is. Welcome back.” There was a smile on his face, completely at odds with the tears streaming down both cheeks.

Even crying, he looked amazing, his face scruffy and the top few buttons of his shirt undone. His usual tie was nowhere to be found, and the shirtsleeves were rolled, displaying those perfect muscular forearms as he held one of her hands. Oh, what a sight for sore eyes. And what a surprise. She hadn’t expected to see him for at least another week.

Wait a second…

“Why the hell aren’t you in South Korea?” she managed to croak out, voice hoarse from disuse.

Poe chuckled softly, the tears still streaming. “Hello to you, too.”

She reached a hand up to wipe those tears, wincing as the IV pulled. “I take it I’m in the hospital?”

He nodded. “Some broken ribs, a concussion, fractured wrist, bruising, apparently you’re very lucky.” He paused. “So can I yell at you about not wearing a seatbelt yet?”

If her entire face wasn’t already on fire thanks to the swelling, she probably would have flushed. Such a dumb, bad habit, especially with her own history. But she wasn’t going to admit that to him.

“Only if I can yell about you not being on a plane right now.”

“Touché.” He brought a hand up, delicately pushing back her hair. Even that hurt a little. “How are you feeling?”

What a question. She felt like she’d just been hit by a car. Which was fair. She had been. “I’d guess just about as good as I look right now.”

While she was expecting a laugh, Poe’s face remained serious as he looked down at her.

“You’re alive, and that’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Rey swallowed thickly. She didn’t realize it had been that close. 

“I want to kiss you so bad right now,” he said, the smallest of smiles twitching his lips, “but I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

“I don’t care, you better kiss me.” 

Never one to deny her the simple things in life, he bent down, his lips light as feathers against her own. She wanted more, oh how much more she wanted, but even just that sent ripples of pain through her face, Rey trying to hide the wince from Poe. 

“I’m gonna let someone know you’re awake.” He gave her good hand a little squeeze in recognition before walking to the door and opening it.

Poe exchanged a few words with whoever was on the other side, likely Snap, then closed the door once more.

The look in his eyes was impossibly fond when he turned back toward her, Rey shifting a little uncomfortably under his gaze. But the dryness of her throat finally caught up to her, starting a coughing fit that sent lances of pain through her with every breath.

Poe was by her side instantly, handing her a glass of water from the little side table. She gulped it gratefully. It wasn’t exactly cold, but it did the trick. 

“Thank you,” she said, handing back the cup. But the damage was already done, her whole chest aching in the aftermath. She reached for his hand. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

But as much as she wanted him here, there were places he  _ needed _ to be. “When do you have to go?”

He cocked his head at her. “What do you mean?”

“South Korea. You’ve probably only missed a few events. So, when is the flight leaving?” 

“Never. I’m not going,” he said, like she was insane. 

Her mind went blank. “What? You can’t just not go.”

“You just got into a major car crash. There’s no way I’m leaving you.”

“Poe–” but she cut off almost immediately when the door swung open, a doctor striding through. She gave Poe a look that said this wasn’t over.

“And how are we feeling Ms. Skywalker?” the doctor asked, shooting nervous glances over to Poe who was glaring at her with arms crossed. He probably wasn’t as used to the ire of the President as she was. But damn did he look good doing it.

“Like I got hit by a car.” 

The doctor chuckled. She wondered how much mileage she could get out of that one before people started calling her on it.

“Well that tracks. Let’s see how you’re doing here.” 

So she let him poke and prod her, a nurse coming in at one point to take vial after vial of her blood, the vampire. With each passing minute, whatever they’d given her for pain faded from her bloodstream, what had once been a dull ache turning sharper and more localized until it nearly took her breath away. 

The doctor tapped away at his iPad. “Well, everything is looking good. I’m still seeing no signs of internal bleeding, but we’ll get you another scan tomorrow just in case. All in all, I’d say you were one lucky woman.”

“And I’d say I’d like to know your definition of unlucky,” she managed to get out through gritted teeth. 

He chuckled. “Let’s get you something for the pain. That’ll help you see how lucky you are.” 

He was just finishing putting something into her IV when the door swung open, Snap’s protests heard from the other side.

“Mr. Skywalker!”

But Luke wasn’t paying attention to anyone who wasn’t Rey, his cool, blue eyes locked onto his daughter where she lay in bed. “Rey.” 

The word was barely more than a breath, and to be quite honest, he looked like shit, clothes crumpled and hair messy, bags under his eyes so big it looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. 

Snap was still hovering at the door, unsure if he should stop Luke or not as he looked from Rey to Poe. Since Poe was silently glaring at her father, she fielded this one.

“It’s okay, Snap.” She put up a hand, instantly regretting it. “We’re fine.”

With a nod, he disappeared back into the hall, shutting the door stiffly behind him. 

The doctor looked completely unaware of the lingering tension in the room, sticking a hand out to her father. “Mr. Skywalker, glad you could make it. I’m Dr. Stevens, the one who called you.”

“Yes, yes, thank you.” But Luke only had eyes for Rey.

“Well, I’ll leave you guys to it.” Maybe he wasn’t as oblivious as she thought. “Not too long, though. That was a pretty hefty painkiller we gave you, and Ms. Skywalker needs her rest.”

“Thanks, Dr. Stevens.” Rey’s voice was still little more than a croak, her eyes already fighting against whatever he’d given her. It was, as they said, the good stuff.

Her father waited to speak until the door had shut behind the good doctor. 

“Oh god, Rey. I came as soon as I heard.” The words came out in a rush, panic evident in each and every syllable, like he still didn’t quite believe that she was ok. 

Poe, who hadn’t said a word since Luke appeared, snorted.

But her dad went on, undeterred. “I couldn’t get a flight, so I got in the car and drove.”

“Dad, that’s a 12 hour trip!” No wonder he looked like shit.

“I’m well aware.” He chuckled. “But I needed to see you, to come here and apologize in person.” 

Well that certainly wasn’t what she was expecting.

He approached her bed, Poe practically growling when he gently took her hand. “I’m so, so sorry, baby. I was awful. When I heard it was a car crash–” He paused, eyes swimming as he swallowed thickly. It hit her in that moment, the deja vu he must have been going through. “I’m ashamed of the things I said to you. It’s not an excuse, but I saw how hard you worked and how much you love this job, and the thought of you losing everything…” He trailed off, getting himself together. “But that doesn’t matter, because it was wrong. I was wrong.”

Rey found herself a little misty eyed. “It’s okay, Daddy.” She hadn’t called him that since she was five, but something about being in this bed and the way his blue eyes were still shining made her feel like a kid again. Damn drugs. 

“No, it’s not. But I’m so proud of you, and I’m gonna make it up to you, baby. I promise.” He lifted her hand, giving the knuckles a kiss. “If you’ll let me.”

It was what she’d always dreamed of him saying to her. After years and years of tense conversations and thinly veiled disappointment, those words felt like magic. They wouldn’t fix everything. She and her father had some serious work to do to fix the damage. But it was a start. And a start was a good thing.

Rey could only nod, her father wrapping her in a very careful hug that still managed to set her ribs on fire. Seeing her wince, Poe cleared his throat from the corner.

Luke looked up at him, meeting Poe’s glare head on. “And I’m sorry for what I said to you. I saw what you said to the media on the tarmac, how much you care about her.” Rey looked over at Poe, confused. His face turned red as he dodged her glance. “I was wrong. You’re not ruining her life, you’re loving her.”

He stuck out a hand and Poe eyed it for a long second before he accepted it, the shake tense and probably a little firmer than it needed to be, but once again, it was a start. And a start was a good thing.

That done, Luke sagged, looking like he was about to fall asleep then and there. She’d never seen her father look so tired or so old. Though she supposed almost losing your daughter to a car accident for the second time would do that to a man. 

But he soldiered on, taking the other available seat to make small talk with them. It was a rough go, Poe’s glares indicating that while he’d shook his hand, Luke still had a long way to go to get back into his good graces. Her hand found Poe’s and gave it a squeeze. She appreciated the loyalty.

But as the minutes went on, Rey noticed her father flagging, his eyes drooping nearly as much as her own. 

So it was for herself as much as him when she declared, “Dad, you should get some sleep,” reaching for him and instantly regretting it. Even floating as she was along the river of good drugs, everything hurt, the smallest movement reminding her exactly of how mortal she was. She took a deep breath. “You can stay at my apartment. Are you okay to drive?”

He looked ready to put up a fight, but something in Poe’s eye had him acquiescing almost immediately. “Yes, yes, I’m good to drive. That would be lovely, thank you, dear.”

Poe dug into a small plastic bag of her belongings. She’d wondered where all her things went, waking up as she had in only the thin hospital gown. It reminded her of the personal effects they gave people on cop or hospital shows. You know, when someone had died. 

“Here we go,” said Poe, finally coming up victorious. He handed over the key ring.

Luke looked down at it, his smile fading. “Uh, remind me again where your apartment is?” 

That hit Rey directly in the chest. He’d never been to her place in DC. Hell, she wasn’t even sure he’d been to her place in Yavin, the few times a year she saw him always happening on his own turf. It was a sobering thought. 

So she had Poe find a pad of paper and pen and wrote down the address, trying to give him some rough directions as she fought against the pull of her pain medication. It was strong, so strong that she knew she only had minutes left before it fully pulled her under. 

“I’ve got it.” Luke smiled as he accepted the paper. “That’s what Google Maps are for.”

Huh, she hadn’t realized he knew what Google Maps were.

“I’m old, dear. I don’t live under a rock.” 

Rey blinked at him for a second, thinking he’d somehow managed to read her mind when it hit her. She’d said it out loud. Damn drugs.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetheart.” He leaned over, pressing a soft kiss onto her forehead. Rey was so far gone, she could barely feel it. 

“Night, Dad.”

And then there were two.

Poe stood at the side of her bed, gently brushing the hair off her forehead. She couldn’t even imagine how greasy (and probably bloody) it was, but he didn’t seem to mind, that same look of disbelief on his face. Like he couldn’t quite believe she was here in front of him.

“You should go, too,” she slurred, fighting with her concrete lids. “Get some sleep. It’s been a hell of a day.”

He just smiled down at her. “Try two. It’s after midnight.” There was a scrape as he pulled up the chair he’d been sitting in earlier. “And there’s no way in hell I’m leaving, so no need to try, Sunshine.”

She felt herself smile at the name. There was no denying that she loved it when he called her that. “Fine. Then climb aboard.” Her hand patted the bed beside her.

“Rey, I’m not getting into bed–”

“Yes, you are. Now stop fighting.” She shifted as carefully as she could (which honestly, wasn’t all that careful), the miracle drugs smoothing out all her sharp edges.

He gave her that stubborn look and she shot it right back, knowing that in a one-on-one battle he never stood a chance. So it was no surprise when he sighed a second later and kicked off his shoes. She scooted further - this bed really wasn’t made for two - and Poe slid in as delicately as possible, like she would break with the slightest movement.

“You know, this is probably frowned upon,” he whispered as soon as he got in, hitting the little light above her bed to plunge them into darkness. “Dr. Stevens will have my head.”

She snorted. “Something tells me you can more than handle Dr. Stevens.” She shifted so her head was on his chest, the beat of his heart steady in her ear. “And I’m not going another second without you in my arms.” As if to emphasize, she gave him a squeeze.

“Fine, fine, but only if you go to sleep.” His hand absently carded through her hair, the feeling so familiar it left an ache in her chest. But she couldn’t think about that at the moment. There were bigger fish to fry before she fell asleep for good.

“We need to talk about South Korea.”

Under her head, Poe stiffened. “No, we don’t.”

“Yes, we do. What did you tell the press?”

“No.” She was surprised by the vehemence in his tone. Looking up at his face, she could see that he meant business. “It’s done. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Still she pushed. “But if you leave tomorrow, you won’t–”

He cut her off almost immediately. “It’s done.” And there was no question that he meant it. There would be no further talk of it that night. “Now, let’s do as the doctor ordered and get you to sleep. Okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed. There would be plenty of time tomorrow to change his mind. “Goodnight, Poe.”

“Goodnight.” He kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”

She was starting to drift, her body feeling blissfully light and pain free as she did. “Love you, too,” she mumbled, settling herself over his heart again.

And it was to that steady beat that she finally fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you on Monday! 
> 
> Oh, and some good news. I've been writing like a fiend lately, so this is going to update twice a week again! Thanks for reading!


	18. Day 78

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey take a much needed break at Camp David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Today we have a lovely and well earned respite before that pesky plot comes barreling back next chapter. And have I mentioned that it's over 5,000 words? Because it's over 5,000 words. Think of it as a pre-apology lol.

Rey took in a sharp breath, trying to ignore the pain radiating from her side. That was a tall order barely one week after the accident, but here she was. 

Sensing her discomfort, Poe wrapped an arm around her, ostensibly for comfort but really to help.

“Are you sure we couldn’t use one of the golf carts to see the beauty of nature?” she asked, parroting the words he’d used to get her out on the trail. Actually, the words he’d used to convince her to spend the weekend recovering at Camp David in the first place. 

“No, the doctors said you need to move.” Rey tried not to roll her eyes. “The doctors said” had become his new religion since the accident. “So, we’re moving.”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Well, can we move a little slower? My back is killing me, and I’m starting to limp.” Not to mention that her wrist had started to ache, which she’d quickly learned meant rain, no matter how blue the skies appeared at the moment. 

Oh, how she hated to admit even that weakness, but this was Poe. He’d been there from the second she’d woken up, hell, he’d even helped her shower the first few days. He’d seen her at her lowest. There was no shame anymore. 

Of course, he immediately shortened his gait, Rey breathing a sigh of relief as the pain shooting down her leg subsided.

“You know, you might feel better if you wore the donut.” He said it lightly, noticeably not making eye contact with her. “Just saying.”

That was because he knew how she felt about the donut, her name for the ridiculous foam neck brace one of her (many, varied) doctors had suggested. There were many things she would suffer, that neck brace was not one of them.

“We’re not having this discussion again. Your chiropractor said I was fine to go without it so long as I iced daily.”

“Have you iced today?”

Again, Rey found herself rolling her eyes. “No, Mom. I haven’t had a chance to yet.” She turned her head (carefully) so she was looking at him. “You know, you can be a real mother hen when you want to be.”

But he had a point. In the days since the crash, Rey had become all too aware of her new limitations, her back protesting at the slightest movement, the concussion leaving her with a lingering headache and the occasional migraine. But the doctors had been clear. She needed to get up and move (slowly, carefully) lest those overwrought muscles lock up.

Hence the reason she’d let him drag her out here.

A small smile played across his lips. “I know you don’t mean it that way, but I’m going to take that as a compliment.” He squeezed the arm that rested gently around her shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to her temple - one of the few places on her face that wasn’t scraped or bruised or aching.

It was true, normally she’d hate the fact that he was handling her - and he was definitely handling her - but if there was anything she’d learned over the past few days, it was that even she needed help on occasion.

So her tone was completely earnest when she nestled further into his embrace and said, “Thank you.”

That was out of character enough to give Poe pause.

“For what?”

Wow, he really wasn’t going to make this easy for her. Not that she didn’t deserve it. He’d been a trooper this past week. “For taking care of me. Even when I’m less than gracious about it.”

“So…. always?” There was a slight teasing tone to his words, and Rey took the opportunity to jab an elbow into his stomach. His very hard stomach. His very hard stomach Rey hadn’t had a chance to enjoy since well before her accident. Something she hoped to remedy that weekend.

But now was not the time to worry about that. 

“I’m not that bad, am I?” she asked, finding herself in need of confirmation.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” He let out a laugh. “I’m kidding. I love you just the way you are, Sunshine.”

She found herself smiling in the weak sunlight. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad trip after all. 

When she’d been released from the hospital two days ago, Poe had been insistent that spend her convalescence in the Residence. 

_ “There’s a full staff and a doctor on duty, 24/7. What more could you ask for?” _

_ “Exactly, a full staff of witnesses.” _

_ He waved her off. “They won’t say anything.” _

_ “Poe, you can’t just move me into the Residence and expect people not to notice.” _

_ He gave her a long look. “I never said I didn’t expect people to notice. I just want you safe and with me.” _

_ “It was an accident,” she said, repeating the words that she’d heard over and over from every report they’d received. “Some lawyer had a three martini lunch and here we are. A very bad decision, and definitely a DUI, but no foul play.” _

_ He scoffed. “So they say.”  _

_ Rey ignored him. “And anyway, my dad has already made arrangements to stay here, to help me until I’m back on my feet.” _

_ “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” _

_ She gave him a long look. “You know, you could try a little harder to be nice to him.” _

_ “I will, if he does.” _

_ “Poe, he’s been bending over backwards to make it up to you.” She reached for his hand, her own gloriously free of an IV. “I appreciate the solidarity and the anger on my behalf, but I forgave him.” And she had. Turns out, being confined to a hospital bed gives you a lot of time to talk through your issues. “And you’re allowed to as well.” _

_ “Fine. I’ll forgive him. But I don’t have to like him.” He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the knuckles. “And I still think you should stay with me.” _

In the end, they’d split the difference, Rey agreeing to a restorative weekend at Camp David before heading back to the city to finish her recovery. And so far, the weekend had been lovely, two days of quiet walks and snuggling on the couch, the kind of normal couple things they never got to do together. And nobody was the wiser.

That had maybe been the biggest surprise in the end: there wasn’t a whisper of anything untoward between them. That first full day in the hospital she’d braced for impact when turning on the news, only to find nothing. President Dameron Delays Trip to Asia After Close Friend’s Car Accident was the closest they got. It was almost eerie. And there was no way she trusted it. Something felt off there.

She’d started to flag again, her stamina these days next to nothing. There was a nap in her future, that much was sure. 

Poe seemed to recognize that she was fading, giving her another light squeeze. “Should we head back to Aspen?”

She nodded.

Poe gave a sharp whistle. “Bee! Come!”

The third wheel of their little party came tearing out of the woods covered in mud, ever the obedient little stinker. There was no need to leash him here, the entire camp theirs and theirs alone that weekend. 

“Someone needs a bath,” laughed Rey as the First Corgi joined them. He really was a good boy, even if he ate Poe’s ties and socks with shocking regularity. His escapades kept the vet afloat, that much was sure.

Poe heaved a heavy sigh. “And I suppose that duty falls to me.”

“I’m injured,” she responded, putting on her best damsel in distress. “I can’t.”

“Ah, now you’re injured. I see the game.” He pressed another kiss to her temple as he turned the group back toward the lodge. “I have to say, that’s real convenient, Sunshine.”

She simply put on her best and most innocent smile. “That’s why you love me.”

“Damn straight.”

The civilian life was for the birds. 

They were laying on the couch as the rain beat against the window, Rey’s head on a pillow in Poe’s lap, Bee’s head on her stomach, while they watched some insipid reality show about getting married in 90 days. Correction, Poe read while Rey watched some insipid reality show, his fingers casually carding through her hair.

It had been on in abundance during her hospital stay, the only thing she could reliably find on the seven or so hospital channels during the daylight hours that wasn’t Judge Judy or Fox News. Naturally, she’d become obsessed.

“Oh, come on! That’s ridiculous,” she half-shouted to the couple on screen, earning a worried look from Bee. Some small squabble over a dress had sent the female half of said couple into over the top histrionics.

Poe glanced up from whatever he was perusing so carefully, looking particularly dashing in his dark-rimmed glasses. “That is the fakest hair I’ve ever seen.”

Rey snorted. “Wait til you see her mom.”

But Poe didn’t wait, instead going back to the mystery folder and the documents within. 

“Whatcha looking at?” she asked casually after enough time had passed. It was something work-related, she knew it. 

Poe didn’t so much as miss a beat. “Nothing important.” The way he said it - casual, too casual - meant it was anything but. 

“Can I help?”

“No.” His answer was swift and flat.

She sat up, ignoring the fervent protest of her ribs and Bee’s indignation at being displaced. She’d taken herself off the pain meds almost immediately, deciding it was better to go it with only the help of ibuprofen and tylenol. A decision she was possibly regretting. Officially annoyed with her, Bee trotted off to the other side of the couch in a huff. 

“Not fair. If you get to work, then I get to work!”

Poe had forbidden her from doing just that, going as far as to confiscate her phone when he caught her checking work emails.

“You are on medical leave,” he said, once again adopting that mother hen tone. “And recovering from a pretty bad car accident, might I remind you. So take the time and let yourself heal.”

“I’d feel better if you’d let me work.”

Poe just stared at her until she heaved a heavy sigh and went back to his lap. Whatever, Plan A was a nonstarter. That was fine. She really had her heart set on Plan B, anyway.

She waited a respectable amount of time, two crying jags and the eventual wedding to be precise, before she started to shift a bit in his lap. Eventually she had wiggled her way to an upward facing position, Poe’s face high above her.

From here, she had quite the view, Poe’s strong neck as it poked out of the stretched out collar of his t-shirt, the day plus old scruff that she knew from experience would be rough to the touch. Oh, she wanted that scruff to touch her places.

While there was something to be said about the impeccably tailored suits and the perfectly cut tuxes, this was her favorite Poe, with his hair a mess, in a pair of ratty old sweatpants (sans underwear, natch) and a Yavin U t-shirt that was soft and worn to perfection. Add in the glasses and he was the picture of domestic bliss. At least he would be, if she got her way.

“Hey,” she said, patted a hand against that flat stomach. She still couldn’t get over how hard it was these days. Though now that she’d seen his workout routine first hand, it was certainly no surprise. Poe looked down. “Episode’s over. Maybe we should head to bed.” Now, she let the hand linger, making her intention known.

But Poe, ever oblivious, just looked at her like she was nuts. “It’s a little early for that, isn’t it?” He put down the folder, taking care to close it so she couldn’t see. Whatever, she was on to more important ventures. “Want to rewatch a few eps of West Wing? I’ll let you pick. Oh, or what about Scandal? We keep saying we’re gonna binge it. And I think I’m gonna like that Olivia Pope.”

Good lord, he was going to make this difficult.

“You know,” she said, sitting up carefully. Her hands found their way under his shirt, sliding over the bare skin. The fabric rode up. “I really had my heart set on bed.”

Poe raised a brow, the truth finally dawning on him. “Why, Ms. Skywalker, are you attempting to undress me?

She nodded, tossing a leg over to straddle his lap. “Why, Mr. President, are you going to let me?”

“Rey…”

Something in his tone was off. Her hands still immediately.

“I want to, dear god how I want to…” He brought a hand up, pushing back a lock of hair that was too short to fit into her messy ponytail.

“But?” 

“But,” that hand dipped toward her ribs, where underneath her own shirt she knew there was a patchwork of bruising, “you just got out of the hospital. I don’t want to hurt you.”

As much as she hated to admit it, she knew she looked a fright right now, her face a mess of half-healed cuts and the sickly yellow of week-old bruises. And a constant reminder that she’d come within inches of something a whole lot worse not even a week ago.

There was something that looked a lot like fear in his eyes when he finally met her gaze, her own heart crumpling in response.

Gently, she grabbed one of his hands and placed it on her breast. Right over where her heart beat, a little faster at the moment thanks to hopeful anticipation.

“See, I’m okay. I made it.” Carefully, she slid the glasses from his face. He could see her better without them at this distance. Then, she brought both hands up to cup his face, hating that one was covered in a brace. “And I’m not gonna break. I promise.”

She used her thumb to swipe away a single tear that had fallen from his eye, Poe taking the opportunity to close the distance between them.

His kiss was soft, gentle, testing, hands just barely skimming down her sides. When his tongue teased at the seam of her lips, she opened to him, anything but tentative. Gently, so gently, he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her with him when he stood. He carried her like that, her legs wrapped around his waist, all the way to the bedroom, the merry jingle of Bee’s tags following alongside.

He set her gently on the bed, immediately intercepting the dog before he could try (and fail) to jump on the bed.

“Not tonight, buddy. She’s all mine,” he said as he ushered Bee out the door, the dog giving a half-hearted bark when Poe closed the door in his face.

Rey propped herself on her elbows, watching with no little bit of interest as those sweatpants did the lord’s work. “You know he’s gonna whine all night.”

Poe turned, the perfect kind of fire in his eyes. “We’ll let him back in.” He crossed the room in a few steps, slotting himself over her in a careful motion. “After.” Then his lips were on hers, and all thoughts of pouting corgis flew straight out of her head.

It seemed she wasn’t the only one looking forward to this judging by the voracity with which he kissed her, that quality of a starving man at his first meal in weeks. 

And yet, so, so gentle as he leaned her back against the mattress, careful to keep his weight off her even as he continued to kiss down her neck. Rey let herself get lost in the sensations, the only decent ones she’d had in a week full of aches and pains and pokes and prods. And Poe kissed each and every one of those pains, soft against the healing scrapes on her face and neck.

She lifted that ratty old t-shirt up, the two of them parting only long enough to get it up and over his head. For a second, Rey froze, taking in not only that gorgeous tan chest, but the plain silver band that hung from his neck.

His mother’s ring. She hadn’t seen that since… well, since he decided to run for President.

And then they were right back at it, Poe’s hands tentative at the hem of her own shirt. 

Rey broke away. “I’m not gonna break,” she repeated, her good hand coming up to touch his cheek. It rasped deliciously on his scruff. “I promise.”

He had apparently needed to hear it one more time, his eyes dark and serious and locked on to hers as he slid the t-shirt up and over her head. When he took in a sharp breath, Rey knew exactly what he was seeing, having encountered it in the bathroom mirror when she’d showered that morning.

Though the doctors claimed she was healing nicely, the skin around her ribs was still tender, the swelling having thankfully gone down considerably in the past week. But it had left behind a bruise that stretched from her breast to her waist, yellow around the edges but a purple so dark it was almost black in the middle.

Above her, Poe went rigid, the look in his eyes fearsome to behold. Her heart dropped. That was the end of that. She’d have to be content with some snuggles and an ep or two of Scandal, after all.

But then, he leaned forward, placing the softest of kisses on the worst of the bruise, the scrape of his beard against the sensitive skin at once painful and so, so welcome. Her eyes fell closed. She buried her good hand in his curls, still too long to be entirely respectable. All the while, his kisses trailed lower, across her stomach and down her midline until he found himself at the waistband of her pants. His fingers played at the elastic, another opportunity for him to declare her too infirm, to change his mind and turn back. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” she asked when he lapsed back into inactivity, fingers still absently tracing the barrier.

He smiled, the expression a whole lot sadder than it needed to be. “Just that a better man would let you rest.”

“Good thing there are none of those around.”

Poe laughed, the sound smoothing something she hadn’t even realized was frayed inside her. She needed this. More than she realized.

When he looked up, there was a question in his eyes, Rey answering before he could even get out the words.

“Yes.”

He shook his head, the smile turning rueful. “You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.”

Ignoring the protest of her ribs, she sat up, burying her hand in his hair once again. “Yes.” Then, using that hand, she brought his mouth to hers, another answer to the question he hadn’t even asked.

It was quick work from there, Poe leaning her back, sliding the sweatpants from her legs to find her gloriously bare underneath, kissing his way back down her body. When he found her cunt, it was clear that he meant to worship her that night, his mouth intent to take her apart piece by piece.

She buried both hands in his hair, cursing as the brace got tangled in his overlong curls. Poe simply paused his ministrations to smile up at her, kissing the brace-covered palm of her hand before going back to work.

And he was very good at his job indeed.

In fact, he had her writhing in no time, steady application of lips and tongue bringing her higher and higher until she reached that glorious peak.

He worked her through it, one hand pressed between her hip bones to keep her from accidentally hurting herself as she temporarily lost control thanks to her pleasure.

Her heart was still racing when Poe joined her on the bed, his lips tasting of her as they sampled her own. 

She reached down to touch him, finding his arousal evident but frustratingly swathed in sweatpants. 

“Is there any reason you’re still clothed right now?” she mumbled into his lips, doing her best to palm him through the pants. It was a losing battle. There was a lot more than her hand could handle.

He smiled, pulling back only long enough to kick free of the pants, pressing back in almost immediately. She got a hand on him, stroking gently in time with his kisses.

When she made a move to return the favor so to speak, Poe stopped her. 

“No,” he said, taking a moment to show her neck some attention. “Tonight is all about you.”

It was a thin ploy to make sure she didn’t hurt herself any worse, even she could see that, but she appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

“Well, good thing I know something that just so happens to be fun for all involved.” She leaned back, dragging him over her.

He hummed appreciatively into her neck, his arousal heavy against her belly. “Oh, you do, do you?”

“Mmhmm.” She shifted, bringing him much closer to where she needed him. “Please tell me you brought condoms.”

“Why, when I knew we were stocked here? I like a good mystery condom.” She gave him a look, earning a laugh in return. “I’m kidding. Of course I brought condoms.” He returned his attention to her neck and collarbones. 

“Don’t you think–” She paused to gasp as he took a nipple into his mouth. “You should grab one?”

“Impatient,” he growled, taking the other nipple in turn. 

As good as that felt, it did nothing to lessen the empty ache between her thighs. In fact, it only made it worse, growing and growing by the second.

“Please,” she said, knowing that he wouldn’t deny her. It was the magic word, after all, and she wasn’t the only one who liked to be begged.

Poe came off her nipple with a glorious pop. “Well, since you asked so nicely.”

Though she was loath to let him and his delicious warmth go, he was back in the space of a minute, sheathed and ready to go. It was a slow slide, her favorite kind, when he took his time and filled her to the absolute brim. She relished the stretch of him. Already, the best kind of tension was starting to build, even though he had only just bottomed out. It had been a while.

Above her, Poe breathed heavily, struggling to keep still a little more than he usually did. Though he kept his weight carefully off her, he still managed to press a kiss or two to her mouth. “You still good?” he mumbled into her lips, a fine sheen of sweat gathering near his hairline. 

“Yes,” she answered with a kiss of her own, “but I’d be better if you moved.” To demonstrate that point, she shifted her hips just so, putting a strain on Poe’s already thin self control.

With nothing left to do but the deed itself, Poe smiled, pulling back his hips before pressing back in with a smooth motion.

He was achingly gentle with her, each stroke as tender as a caress as they moved together. It struck her that even with all the talking they’d done this past week, all the problems they’d worked through, it was this moment that truly and finally brought them back to rights, the act both an apology and forgiveness.

Since Poe bore his weight on his forearms, careful that she didn’t bear so much as a pound of it, she saw to herself, her good hand dipping between them to concentrate featherlite touches just above where he moved inside her. 

Rey met those movements as best she could, the building pleasure doing better than all the tylenol in the world to sooth her various aches. Or at least to make her forget about them for the time being. 

But Poe never did, worshipping her body with knowledge gained over years of practice. The torturously perfect angle and tempo and even the sweet nonsense he whispered in her ear, he knew exactly how she liked it, every moment chosen to take her higher.

And higher she went, that sweet, sweet tension building low in her gut until finally her own touch put her over the edge, her mind and body exploding in a moment of complete release.

She called out Poe’s name as she came, vaguely aware of Poe shouting his own release a moment later.

He all but collapsed next to her, careful to avoid the worst of her injuries as he drew her into his arms. Together, they waited for their heartbeats to come down.

“I think I needed that,” she managed to pant out, nuzzling closer to Poe’s chest. 

“Fuck, I definitely did.” There was a pause while he kissed the crown of her head. “I should go deal with this.” He vaguely gestured at the condom and the mess within. With a final kiss, he was up and gone.

Rey spread out, letting her muscles stretch as the sweat dried on her skin. She hadn’t felt this good in weeks, every ache and pain chased away by the endorphins. Perhaps orgasms should factor more heavily into her treatment plan. Then again, she suspected the effects wouldn’t last. She’d pay for the exertion later.

As if reading her mind, Poe reappeared with a glass of water and a few ibuprofen in hand, Rey feeling oddly choked up at the concern he showed, all the ways he quietly took care of her. That’s just who he was.

“Thank you,” she said, downing the pills in one. Then finished the glass for good measure. She’d worked up a sweat.

He kneeled on the bed in all his glory, deftly taking the empty glass from her hands even as he pulled her into a kiss. “More?”

“Already?” She smirked up at him, her hands questing lower.

“Water,” he laughed into her lips. “I was asking if you wanted more water. Though give me a few minutes and all bets are off.”

She plucked the glass from his hand while he was distracted by her kisses. “I’ll get it myself. I have to pee anyway.”

Poe dropped onto the bed as she quit it, giving her quite the view as he took advantage of the open space. “Don’t be long.”

She wouldn’t, not with that body and its warmth beckoning. True to her word, she was sliding between the covers a few minutes later, sated and sleepy and all too ready to be in Poe’s arms.

Once they were snuggled and quiet and the first episode of Scandal was playing on the bedroom TV, she brought a hand up, tracing the thin band of the ring where it laid against his chest. “Are we going to talk about this?”

Of course she knew what that ring was, what it meant to him. His mother’s ring, meant for his partner. She also knew that he’d taken it off the moment he’d decided to run, a nod to the fact that they’d decided not to be together until his term - or terms - was over. 

Poe put his hand over hers, a move that stopped her from fidgeting and still felt tender. 

“I put it on before leaving for Air Force One that day.” There was no need for him to clarify what day. The day of her accident had already taken on a kind of mythic proportion between them. A day that would live in infamy. Absently, he traced a finger over her skin. “I was probably putting it over my head at the exact moment you…” Poe trailed off, his voice catching on the last word.

When he looked at her, there were tears in his eyes, Rey doing the only thing she could think of to comfort him. “Oh, Poe,” she said before bringing her lips to his, the kiss sad and sweet and full of more than a little regret.

“If you had been going with us, if I hadn’t been so fucking stupid and insisted on freezing you out…”

How she hated to see him like this, beating himself up over something he couldn’t control. A bit of bad luck. Because she  _ shouldn’t _ have been invited on that trip. She had been exactly where she was supposed to be, and that just happened to be the wrong place at the wrong time.

“And if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, wouldn’t it be a merry christmas?” she said in response, quoting one of her father’s more inane sayings.

It had its intended effect when Poe snorted. 

“There he is.” Rey smiled, petting his cheek fondly. “It was an accident. There was nothing any of us could have done differently.” She tried to say it with as much vehemence as she could muster, though lord only knew what good it would do. Poe was notoriously stubborn. She supposed it took one to know one.

But he did appear to be chewing that over. When his eyes met hers across the pillow, she found determination there instead of misery. Surely a good sign.

“Marry me.”

Rey blinked. “What?”

“Marry me,” he repeated, this time with a smile. “I love you. I’ve loved you for damn near six years now. And I know you deserve more than a half cocked proposal in bed of all places, and I fully intend to give you that and more when we can finally do this for real, but right here, right now, I want to give you this ring and make my intentions known.”

Oh, Poe. He’d always worn his heart on his sleeve. And she was always there to provide some balance, bring him back from the edge. This was madness. Another way they were asking to get caught. 

But as he looked at her with such pure hope in his eyes, she found she couldn’t do it. No, that wasn’t right. That made it sound like she pitied him or something. The truth was, she didn’t want to say no. Not even a little bit.

So, she didn’t.

“Yes.” There were tears in her eyes even as her smile went wide. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

The last word was barely out of her mouth before he was kissing her, a little more forceful this time in his obvious elation. They broke apart long enough for him to move the ring from his neck to hers, and then his mouth was back on hers, his body following to consummate their engagement.

They’d restart the episode later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm I do hope nothing comes back to bite them in the next chapter...
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	19. Day 91

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Rey's first day back in the office, a meeting with Hux turns ugly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm just gonna let you read this without comment.

Rey took a deep breath of stale office air as she walked down the halls of the West Wing. She was back. And never had she been more grateful for the industrial grade carpet and fluorescent lights of the White House press pool as she walked past.

It had been weeks - three to be exact - since she’d last stepped foot in these hallowed halls, Poe all but insisting that she take the full time available to her to convalesce. That would have been six weeks and a big no from her. So they split the difference.

And even then the last week had been trying, Rey ready to pull out her own hair without work to distract her. Thank god her father had taken pity on her and didn’t comment when she opened her laptop.

Poe had been… attentive in the meantime, though more than a little frustrated with her father’s constant, hovering presence. Not that he’d been able to join them all that often, what with the decoy vehicles and ambulances and sirens required of an outing. Even at the barest of minimums a visit required two cars and a hell of a lot more Secret Service agents than they wanted to take into their confidence and that had to be undertaken once the sun had set and White House had called a lid. 

She knew that he would have rather hidden her away at the Residence, common sense and caution be damned, where he surely would have smothered her with well-intentioned love. Thank god he’d listened to reason. Not so much because she was worried they’d be found out. Just that she absolutely would have killed him.

Yet, the fact that they still hadn’t been discovered weighed heavily on her mind these days. Instead of relief, she felt a little more uneasy each day that passed without incident, the networks and papers and blogs not so much as mentioning her name except in passing. Her spidey sense tingled at that. Something was going on there, she could feel it.

Then again, maybe they were just too busy with other news to notice. Like the fact that President Dameron had been seen in the company of Zorii Bliss twice more in recent days, each outing lending a little more credence to the rumors that the Commander in Chief was officially on the market.

Rey touched the ring where it was tucked under her dress and suppressed a laugh. Their time at Camp David had cured her of any hint of jealousy. She knew Poe was all hers.

It was that thought that brought her to Ms. D’Acy’s desk and the door to the Oval Office beyond.

For once, Poe’s assistant greeted her without her usual air of begrudging acceptance. “Oh, Ms. Skywalker! It’s so good to see you back on your feet!” And then, without warning, she rose from her desk and gathered Rey into a surprisingly strong hug that sent a sharp blast of pain through her side.

“Thank you, Ms. D’Acy. Glad to be back,” she managed to gasp out.

The woman took a step back, waving her off. “Oh, none of that. Call me Larma.”

In all the years she’d known her, going on six now, Rey had never been asked to call her by her first name. Hell, until five seconds ago, she hadn’t even known what that first name was. Maybe the woman didn’t hate her after all.

“Only if you call me Rey.” Rey smiled at the other woman as she scooted back around to her desk.

“Did you get the flowers I sent?”

“I did. Thank you, they were lovely.”

Then as if reading her mind, “Well, I know you didn’t come here to chat with me.” Larma gave Rey a conspiratorial grin. “He’s waiting for you, head on in.”

“Thanks.” Rey didn’t waste anymore time, instead striding to the door and entering the office.

Everything was just as she remembered it, not that it would have changed in a few weeks, but still. It felt like an eternity since she’d last been here.

Before she’d even been able to take in a full sweep of the room, Poe was catching her in his arms, his kiss that of a man who hadn’t been alone with her for weeks.

“Well, hello to you, too,” she said, when they finally pulled apart. “Is that how you greet everyone coming through those doors these days?”

“Only those I plan on marrying.”

Those words had the power to send her heart soaring no matter how many times she heard them. 

Unlike D’Acy’s, Poe’s arms were delicate around her, careful not to hit any of the places he knew she was injured, his hands roaming a little across her back. 

“I’ve missed you,” he said, words barely more than a whisper in her ear. 

She laughed. “It’s been, what, a week?”

“Eleven days. And then I couldn’t even kiss you without your father popping up at the worst possible time.” His expression turned mischievous. “But we’re alone now.” She watched as his eyes fixed on the Resolute Desk, the intention plain as day.

It was tempting to be sure. That desk had factored in to many a shared fantasies over the last month. But her first day back was not the time for that. They had almost four more years to get it done.

“As tempting as that sounds, we have actual work to do.”

Poe groaned. “You’re no fun.”

“Hmm, I guess I’ll just have to show you how not fun I am tonight,” she said, earning a smile in return.

“Tonight? I like the sound of that.” He stepped back, gesturing toward the couches. “Shall we.”

She sat down, trying and failing to hide a wince. Naturally, Poe was all over it.

“Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

“Good,” she answered, lie that it was. Well, not completely a lie. She had been good when she left for work that morning, but with each passing hour she’d faded a little bit more, the painkillers she’d taken a distant memory.

Poe sensed the hesitation in her answer. “No, you’re not. If you need to rest, you can go up to the Residence–”

“No.” Her voice was firm. “I can’t be seen slinking off to the Residence at all hours of the day and night.” Because she was definitely staying there that evening, her bag already passed over to one of the housekeepers. Then, seeing his expression, “We’re so close. A couple more weeks and we’ll be able to test the waters. Let’s not throw it all away on unnecessary risks. I can make it through the day, and I’ll see you tonight.”

Though she could tell he wanted to, Poe didn’t fight her on it, letting her turn their attention to the real reason she was here: the bill.

But Poe wasn’t having that either.

“It’s done,” he said, looking quite proud of the fact. “A little bit of jockeying before tomorrow to be sure, but Leia whipped the hell out of it and we’ve got the votes.”

She should have been happy at the news, hell maybe even ecstatic. This was their campaign promise, the main thing they ran on, the reason they won. If they passed this, and in the first 100 days no less, then they’d be all but guaranteed that second term. And yet, she couldn’t help but be a little pissed that this thing she’d worked on and fought for and brought about from thin air had been taken over the finish line without her.

“Oh.”

Poe was apparently oblivious to her hurt. “But you should probably work with Rose on the announcements and press coverage. We want all of our ducks in a row for next week once it makes it through both chambers.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. I actually have a meeting with her after this.” She looked at her watch. “Which I should be getting to.” Without preamble, Rey got to her feet.

Poe blinked in surprise, obviously not sure where this abrupt departure was coming from. 

“Rey?”

But she was already at the door. “Don’t want to be late. I’ll see you tonight.”

Rey waved at Larma before setting off towards Rose’s office at a clip despite the growing ache in her back and side. She attempted to parse her mixed emotions about the bill, but it was no use. Logic told her that they’d needed to work on it while she was gone, but she couldn’t get over the strange sense of uselessness. If they didn’t need her for this, what did they need her for at all? Oh well, in the spirit of honesty, maybe she could broach it with Poe that night.

Arriving at Rose’s office, she poked her head in to find it empty. 

“Any idea where she’s at?” she asked Rose’s admin, a girl who in all honesty barely looked old enough to drink.

“I think she was going to stop in the press pool before heading to you.”

“Thanks.” So she found herself on the move again, her feet joining the various aches and pains she’d accumulated thus far. Why again had she worn heels?

When she finally made it to the press pool, they greeted her like a conquering hero, untold pats on the back and even a few cheers thrown her way as she walked through the cubes toward where Rose was holding court. It felt a little like going into the lion’s den, but she’d always enjoyed a good working relationship with the press (her brushes with censorship notwithstanding). It would be more obvious if she ignored them now.

“Hey Rey, how does it feel to be back?” called one of her favorites, a man her father’s age who always gave them balanced coverage. 

She smiled, adopting that unflappable and slightly flirtatious tone that made her a darling of the Sunday morning roundtables. “I don’t know, is this on the record or off?”

“Off, of course.”

“Of course. Unless I hadn’t asked, right?” The laughter around the room told her that was exactly the case. “Well, I can’t say I recommend getting hit by a car, but I’m definitely glad to be back. Even if I have to deal with you lot.”

A few good natured jeers were volleyed about - all part of the game - before Rey was finally free to steal Rose away. 

“How are you really feeling?” she asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the reporters, still taking care to keep her voice low. They’d stopped in a little alcove that kept them away from the worst of the prying eyes. 

Rey exhaled carefully, the easy looking posture she’d been maintaining untenable for any length of time. “Like I should have taken more ibuprofen this morning.”

Rose was well acquainted with her condition, she and Finn having visited Rey several times since the accident. Besides her father (and secretly, Poe), they had been her two most loyal visitors, coming together on more than one occasion. Oh how she wanted to ask what was going on there, but people in glass houses and all that.

“Come on, let’s get you back to your office and into a chair, then we can talk.”

They made their way through the halls, Rey taking careful breaths as she fought to urge to wince with each one. It seemed that she had reached the end of her meager stamina. Maybe she should have taken a half day. 

But appearances were everything, so Rey smiled and waved and pretended not to notice that her ribs were on fire. 

“Hey Jen,” she said with a wave as they passed an intern, earning a “Welcome back,” in return.

Spotting one of the social media managers, Rey remembered something. “Hey Dani, I noticed that the First Corgi account hasn’t posted in a few days. Let’s make sure we’re putting up new content at least every other day, plus stories and those godforsaken reels.”

“Of course, Rey!” she responded, ever chipper in that social media manager way.

She was losing steam, and Rose seemed to notice, gently guiding her and the conversation back toward Rey’s office.

Christ, it wasn’t even lunch yet. How the hell was she supposed to get through the rest of the day when she already felt like her lungs were going to burst into flame? One more corner, just one more corner and she’d be in her office and she could take double the dose of ibuprofen and collapse into her chair…

They turned said corner, salvation in sight, when the man hovering outside her door turned around and Rey recognized his face.

Well, fuck.

Because of course, Hux was lurking outside her office.

“Ms. Skywalker, Ms. Tico, what luck to run into you here,” he said, as if he hadn’t been haunting the hallway waiting for them. 

Rose restrained from rolling her eyes. Mostly. “Oh yes, what luck to find us right outside Rey’s office.”

Hux ignored her. “And on the first day back after your unfortunate accident, no less.”

Something about the way he said “unfortunate accident” made the skin on the back of her neck prickle.

“Yes, quite lucky,” she somehow managed to say.

“Since I have you, I thought we could have that sit down we missed.”

Right, the sit down she’d missed because of the accident. She’d almost forgotten that’s where she’d been on to her way to that day. Though there was nothing off about what he said or how he said it, in fact he was perfectly polite, once again her spidey sense tingled, this time accompanied by an inexplicable drop of dread in her stomach. She swallowed it down.

Rey had never been more grateful for a valid excuse in her life. “I was actually just about to sit down and discuss the stimulus announcement with Rose. But you could always make an appointment with Kay.” 

“Oh, but I’m only here for the next hour. And we’re already so close to the deadline. I’m sure Ms. Tico would be happy to come back later. I would just hate for us not to settle things before it goes on to the floor tomorrow.” 

Rey could hear the words he wasn’t saying loud and clear, the inherent threat. We sit down now, or this dies on the Senate floor. Maybe she wasn’t so useless after all.

Fucker.

“Of course.” She turned back to Rose. “Do you mind if we reschedule?” 

They exchanged a silent conversation in which Rose’s eyes seemed to ask if she was really ok with this and to which Rey gave a slight nod. She would do this, and then allow herself a nap in the Residence and pass it off as lunch.

“Not at all.” Rose’s response sounded more like a threat.

Rey turned her attention to Hux. “Perfect, just give me a minute to find the documents and then I’ll be with you.” A minute to down some painkillers, more like.

“No worries, I brought copies,” announced Hux, all easy smiles as he presented a sheaf of papers.

He’d thought of everything, hadn’t he?

“Great.” She turned to Rose. “I’ll give you a call when we’ve finished.” 

Rose knew a dismissal when she saw it, giving Rey a single raised brow in acknowledgement. “I’ll be eagerly awaiting your call.” With the way she looked directly at Hux, it definitely came off as a threat. “Good to see you, Hux.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Delightful as always, Tico.”

Oh lord, she was in far too much pain for this. “Shall we head inside,” she said before it could come to blows, the staring match alone enough to curdle milk.

Hux turned his attention back to Rey, back to that unnerving cordiality. “Of course, after you.”

She bit back her retort at being invited into her own office, reminding herself forcefully that as much as she hated it, they needed Hux. 

He helped himself to one of the seats across from her before she even had a chance to drop gingerly into her own, trying and failing to hide a wince.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, ever the gentleman. He even managed to get a passable look of concern on his face.

Rey slapped on a rather forced smile. “Like I got hit by a car.”

“And what a terrible thing, that accident.” He paused, ever the dramatic. “Just the sheer bad timing of it. I mean, you’d think one would be safe from drunk drivers in the middle of the day. How would you have known that poor lawyer drank his lunch?”

Once again, some sixth sense prickled at the edge of her consciousness. 

“I suppose that’s why they call it an accident,” she answered slowly. Wanting to speak of anything but that, she steered the discussion on. “Shall we have a look at the latest draft?”

Across from her, Hux grinned, the look reminiscent of a cat that got the canary. 

“Or, we can discuss the real reason for my visit.”

Rey’s heart dropped. She swallowed. Fought to keep her face carefully neutral. “The real reason?”

“Yes, the real reason.” Hux fished his phone out of his breast pocket, and set it on the desk, taking care to maintain eye contact with her as he tapped the screen. 

An audio file started to play, loud despite the shitty iPhone speakers. Some kind of chanting? It took a good five seconds for the sounds to rearrange into something that made sense in Rey’s brain.

No, not chanting. Panting. Two people panting in time with each other. But wait, that sounded like…

All the blood drained from her face as a female voice  _ moaned _ .

And not just any voice, Rey’s voice.

This was a sex tape. Of her and Poe. And Hux had it. 

Another of her soft moans was accompanied by a groan from Poe. Sure, she’d know it anywhere, but logic told her they would be hard pressed to prove who was on that tape. Thank god.

“I don’t know–”

Hux put up a hand to stop her. “Wait for it.”

_ “You like that?” _ came Poe’s voice from the phone.

Rey blanched. Camp David. Easter.

The next word was barely a breath.  _ “Yes.” _

_ “I can’t hear you.” _

A little more strongly this time.  _ “Yes. Yes. Don’t stop.” _

Ok, not great, but still nothing damning. 

_ “Atta girl. Tell me what you want, Rey.” _

She closed her eyes, like that could make it all go away. The recording stopped.

“Do I need to go on?”

Her eyes flew open, taking in the look of pure malice on Hux’s face. There were laws broken here, not to mention all manner of decency and privacy. But the violation. That’s what she couldn’t get over. Someone had taken something so personal, a private moment between lovers, and twisted it for their gain. She felt sick.

But the next words out of her mouth would determine everyone’s fate, that much she knew. Poe’s name was never mentioned, so it was only her and her reputation on the line. Deny it, and he’d call her a liar. Explain it, and admit guilt. There was no way for her to win. 

“I didn’t realize it was illegal for a single woman to have sex.” But it was definitely illegal for someone to record her without her knowing. “Is there a particular reason you have a recording of me?”

“Well, when the Chief of Staff and the President of the United States are having an affair and lying about it, I think the American people have the right to know.”

“The President of the United States?” She forced herself to laugh. “I don’t know where you’re getting that notion from–”

Hux put his hand up again, the pompous asshole. He tapped the phone.

This time it was her voice damning them. _ “Come for me, Mr. President.” _

Well, fuck.

Hux leaned back in his chair, the picture of insouciant grace. “Are you ready to come to terms?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Runs and hides*
> 
> See you on Monday!


	20. Day 91. Still.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hearing Hux's full plan, Rey seeks out Poe in the Oval Office where an unwelcome conclusion is reached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, I’ve been away for a few days, anything exciting happen?
> 
> Kidding aside, I came very close to letting this story go this week. To letting all my stories go this week. I’m not going to give air to the nonsense posted by the fake account mostly because I’m sure you’ve all already seen it. Plus, I know my readers are smart and amazingly supportive and more than capable of not only seeing that vitriol for what it was, but also making their own decision about me and my work. Which is why I’m not letting that person (or people, more likely) win. I love this story so much that the thought of the rest of it not seeing the light of day more than outweighed my bone-deep fear of the threats I was receiving. So here we are.
> 
> That being said, I’ll let you get to reading. We’re getting so close to the end of this one, I can’t wait to share the conclusion with you.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

A sick smile curled at Hux’s lips. “Are you ready to come to terms?”

Rey’s mind whited out for a second as the panic threatened to overtake her. Everything she’d worked for, everything Poe had worked for, down the drain in a single moment of weakness. Ok, definitely not a single moment, but Hux only had proof of the one. As far as she knew.

Now was not the time to panic. On the contrary, she had to have a clear head if she wanted to minimize damage while finding out exactly what he had on them.

She took a deep, steadying breath, letting that cool logic she was known for take the reins. She was a political fucking animal. The youngest winning presidential campaign manager ever. She put Poe Dameron in the highest office in the land and ate pompous little jackasses like Hux for breakfast.

Rey leaned forward, forcing a predatory grin onto her face. “And what, may I ask, do you think you have to bargain with?” 

Some old tricks she’d learned from Rose: Play dumb, deflect, deny, deny, deny.

And never admit to anything.

“Do I need to play it again?” He moved for his phone but Rey put up a hand.

“All I heard was a couple having sex. And like I said, I don’t remember that being illegal.”

“You see, it’s not the sex that’s illegal,” he said a little too casually, eying her over tented fingers. “It’s the trips and the secret rendezvous and the government funds used to have them.”

“Poe hasn’t spent a dime of government funds on me.” That much was true. They were painfully careful about it.

But Hux seemed unfazed. “So you were essential personnel to have on the trip to Prague? I didn’t realize you served a diplomatic function as well.” A smile spread across his lips at whatever crossed her face. Goddamnit, Poe. “And that weekend at Camp David after you got out of the hospital. I assume you were working? Because otherwise, those lines get a little murky.”

Jesus Christ, he knew about the second trip to Camp David? Was he having her watched?

Deflect, deflect, deflect. “Camp David is a presidential retreat. Last time I checked, it’s wholly up to the President’s discretion who his guests are.”

“But as a government employee, one must be especially particular about not accepting gifts.” He looked down, inspecting his perfectly manicured nails. “Trips to Camp David don’t come cheap. The security alone…”

Rey crossed her arms. “That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think? It won’t hold up in court.”

“Maybe not, but we wouldn’t be in court, now would we?” He picked an invisible fleck of dirt off his jacket, completely at his leisure. Like a cat playing with a mouse before dinner. “I’m sure Congress would be happy to investigate.”

Impeachment. He was threatening impeachment. 

“You don’t have the votes.”

He leaned closer, enunciating each and every word so there would be no mistake. “Ms. Skywalker, I wouldn’t be here right now showing you my cards if I didn’t have the votes.”

But that couldn’t be. Her mind reeled. Congress loved Poe. The people loved Poe. Moving against him like this would be disastrous for elected officials, especially with the midterms already starting to breathe down their necks.

“You wouldn’t,” she spat before she could stop herself. But cold, cold terror spread through her chest. Either he was the world’s best poker player, or he completely believed every word out of his mouth. 

Hux’s smile turned lethal. “Try me.”

They both knew she wouldn’t. It was too big of a risk, too many unknowns. So they were back to square one.

“What do you want?” she asked, getting to the heart of it. He said he wanted to come to terms. She was now ready to hear them. “We’re not killing the bill, whatever you threaten us with.”

Hux’s laughter brought a chill to her core. 

“You think this is about that insipid bill?” He laughed again, Rey feeling anything but mirth at the cold, empty sound. “I don’t give a shit about Dameron’s pet project.”

Rey couldn’t even disguise her shock at that. “What do you mean this isn’t about the bill? We’ve spent months grappling over each and every word, you fighting us every step of the way. Why else would you be blackmailing me if not to get the bill off the floor?”

“Oh, blackmail is such an ugly word. You should think of it as persuasion.” His lips curled. “Honestly, you should be proud of that bill. I would have passed it in its original form had the circumstances been different. It’s quite solid, lot’s of good for both sides no matter how you slice it. But unfortunately it was a means to an end. You see, I needed some reason for you to bring one of my own into the fold, I needed–”

“Ben,” she finished for him, the name making her stomach roil. That little fucking… “You needed an excuse to have Ben around us. That’s why you fought us on the bill.”

It had all been for nothing. All of the meetings, all of the compromises, all of the concessions they’d had to take were just a screen. Hux had torn their bill apart just so Ben could get his claws in them.

“Smart girl.” Somehow he made the words sound like an insult. “Oh yes, Ben was an enthusiastic player in my little game. He’s quite motivated with the presidency dangling so enticingly over his head. It was no trouble at all to get him to report on your comings and goings, even managing to drop a nifty little device into President Dameron’s jacket while no one was looking at Camp David. I just expected to get a little sweet talk, so when I opened the file.” He made a motion to fan himself. “Such luck.”

Rey’s face heated without her permission as she swallowed down bile at the thought of this man listening to some of her most intimate moments with the man she loved. But now was not the time to think about her own embarrassment. She had to press on.

“So that’s the big plan. Get Poe impeached on some trumped up charges and put Ben in the position.”

Hux feigned surprise. “I never said that. I said, the job dangled ever so enticingly. If Mr. Solo is under the impression that he will be President, well that is an unfortunate side effect indeed. I made no such promises.”

“Then what?”

“Well, you see, I’ve found the President’s weakness. That’s you, dear.” He said that last as a funny little aside. “And whoever controls the President’s weakness, controls the President.”

“He’d never go along with that.”

“But wouldn’t he? I’ve already shown the world what he would do if something were to happen to you.” Rey stiffened in her seat. “All it took was one little accident for him to abandon his duties immediately. And that’s not even getting into the gross misuse of the lifeflight helicopter and your subsequent treatment at Walter Reed. He would do anything for you, that much is clear.” There was a pause while Hux gave her a long, sympathetic look. “How are those ribs, dear?”

Rey’s mind was a raging maelstrom as that information sunk in. Hux. Hux had been behind her accident. She didn’t know how she knew it, just that she did. “You. It was you. I could have died.”

“Messy business, that accident,” he said lightly, his eyes boring into her. “Now, in my defense, I didn’t expect you to not be wearing a seatbelt, what with your history and all.”

There were no words - none - for what she wanted to do to Hux in that moment. It had all been a plan to expose Poe and she (and the accident) nothing but a pawn in Hux’s sick little game. 

“But such are the risks that we take,” he went on, his voice taking on a musing kind of quality. Like he was discussing the weather and not attempted murder. 

“And if he doesn’t? Go along with your plan, that is.”

Hux sighed. “Well, then I always have Ben to step in. Not my first choice, like I said, but he makes a delightful Plan B.”

“I could have you arrested.”

“Oh, but you need evidence for that don’t you? You’ll find that my hands are delightfully clean. Even with the recording. I wasn’t at Camp David, I couldn’t have put it there.” He feigned a look of innocence. “And anyway, if you wanted to use that against me, you’d have to tell people about it. Such a shame, how sex scandals always seem to affect the female party more than the male. I’m afraid that once that gets out, not even the local chamber of commerce will want you.”

Rey’s thoughts strayed to the ring around her neck and the promise it entailed. This wasn’t just some fling or affair, and she was pretty sure even Hux knew that. But they also both knew that he was right. If this got out, no matter what other good they’d done, Poe’s presidency would always be remembered by this one act. And her name would never recover.

His smile turned oily as he watched it dawn on her face.

“You are outmatched, young Skywalker. Every move you make, I’m already three plays ahead. Checkmate.”

Well, if that was the case, then she had no reason to observe the niceties. “Get the fuck out of my office.”

Hux grinned as he got to his feet. “With pleasure. I expect you to run off to your beau presently, so I’d like to get your answer by midnight tonight. I already have a few ideas for us to work on.” He tapped something on his phone, her own pinging cheerfully on her desk. “A parting gift. I look forward to hearing from you.”

Rey seethed at her desk, watching as the man took his time making his way to the door. He hesitated with his hand on the handle. 

“You know, you really should be thanking me, dear. You two haven’t been discreet, and I’ve had my hands full trying to distract the press from all of your little… indiscretions.”

“Out!” she shouted, hating that he’d gotten such a rise out of her but unable to stop it.

And with that, he was gone. 

Already fuming, Rey looked down at the phone, finding the recording file in a text message. Without warning, she picked up the adorable little vase that she kept her pens in and threw it against the closed door in fit of impotent rage, drawing Kay into the office almost immediately.

“Is everything ok, Rey?” she asked, taking in the look on her face and the smashed former pencil holder.

Rey stood behind her desk, fire lancing through her with every heave of her chest. Already she was paying for that moment of weakness, the pain that had been masked by her anger returning sevenfold. All at once, she dropped into her chair, legs all but giving out on her. 

“I’m fine.” Kay hesitated, not quite believing her. “Really. It was a… difficult conversation.”

“Right. Anything I can get you?”

The things Rey needed were not easily procured. A new job. A way out of this hell. Someone else to break the news to Poe.

Poe. She needed to talk to him. Immediately. Before he got so much as a whiff of this from someone else. They needed to plan, figure out next steps, find if there was a way out of this ridiculous trap Hux had set.

With some difficulty, she got to her feet. “No, thank you. I need to speak with the President.”

“But you just came from…” she trailed off when she saw the look on Rey’s face. “Nevermind. I’ll leave you to it.”

This trip through the halls held none of the optimism and welcome of her last, Rey’s feet carrying her toward the oval as fast as they could, people wisely parting when they saw her coming. 

She didn’t even pause to acknowledge Ms. D’Acy, the older woman calling after her as Rey swung open the door to the Oval Office.

Poe was sitting on the couch facing her, his dark haired guest on the couch opposite where Rey could only see his back. Poe stood, a confused look on that handsome face.

“Rey, what are you doing? I’m in a meeting.” Though the words were cordial enough, they held a tinge of annoyance at the interruption. 

His guest turned, and Rey found herself face to face with Ben Solo. One glance at the smug look on his face told her that he knew exactly why she was there. And not only did he know, but he had probably called this meeting specifically to be here when she came running, a constant reminder that Hux was always a few moves ahead.

“Out,” she snapped, her eyes locked dead on Ben’s face. 

“Rey!” Poe was looking at her like she’d lost her damn mind. And maybe she had. But there was no way she was going to be in the same room as Ben fucking Solo right now.

For his part, Ben’s grin only got more unctuous.

She kept her voice deadly calm. “I said get the fuck out of here. Now.”

Poe’s eyes went wide in shock. “Vice President Solo, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” he said, picking up his things to go with a ridiculous grin on his face. He probably didn’t even have anything real to discuss with Poe anyway. “I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about.”

Poe waited until the door had snicked shut behind him to pounce on her. “What the fuck is going on? You of all people know you can’t talk to the Vice President like that!”

This was something that was easier to demonstrate than to explain. Rey crossed over to the Resolute Desk, slammed her phone onto the surface, and brought up the audio clip.

Her breathy moans filled the space.  _ “Atta girl. Tell me what you want, Rey.” _

Across from her Poe’s face went deathly pale, a washed out color she didn’t even realize his normally tan skin could go. “Turn it off.”

She did as requested.

“Where did you get that?” he asked, his body held stiff and unnatural. Like he wasn’t quite sure how to move it anymore.

“Our good friend Armitage Hux. He paid me a little visit just now.”

“But how? He wasn’t even there that weekend.” Poe’s brow wrinkled in consternation.

“No, he wasn’t, but three guesses who helped him out that was.”

She watched the comprehension dawn slowly on his face, bringing a look of ire so pure, she feared a little for her cousin’s life. “Ben.”

“Bingo.”

Poe released a sharp breath, dropping back onto the couch like his legs gave up trying to hold him. He put his head to his heads. “Jesus. What does he plan to do with that?”

Rey crossed over to sit down next to him.

“Blackmail you into doing whatever he wants, far as I can tell.”

Poe’s head snapped up. “The hell he will.” He was back on his feet in an instant, pacing the length of the presidential seal beneath his feet. “It’s illegal. And who the fuck cares that we’re sleeping together? All we need is one People magazine interview or a sit down with Oprah and the whole world is going to fall in love with our story! Star crossed lovers, held apart by duty to their country, it writes itself!”

Having known him for so long, she let him go, knowing that he needed to get it out.

“And why does he think he can blackmail me? I’m the President of the United fucking States of America. Nobody blackmails me!”

One hand was in his hair tugging, the curls splaying every which way with his attention. 

“Yeah, that’s what we’ll do. We’ll just get ahead of the story. Put it out there…” he trailed off, losing some of the steam. “But then we’d have our sex tape out there.”

She knew he’d get there eventually.

“No. We aren’t going to put ourselves out there like that.” He dropped back onto the couch, taking one of her hands. “I don’t want you exposed like that. There has to be another way.”

Of course, he’d be worried about her and her embarrassment at a time like this, even with his own legacy on the line.

“He has other things. The trip to Prague, this last stint at Camp David. I’m a government employee and he’s muttering about gifts and bribes.”

Poe waved it off. “Prague was a work trip, and Camp David is for my use, full stop. We did nothing wrong.”

“Yeah, but can we prove it?” She looked down at their joined hands, Poe’s thumbs automatically scraping across her knuckles. “Was I necessary personnel on the Prague trip? Were we careful about expenses? The lines are blurry.”

“He wants to impeach me.” He said the words like they were just dawning on him. “But on what? He has no grounds.”

“‘An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history,’” she recited from memory. “I believe Gerald Ford provided that little nugget of wisdom. But he claims that’s not what he’s after.”

“And you believe him?”

She sat back, considering that. “I think I do. He used Ben to get what he wanted, but we both know my cousin is volatile. It’ll be hard for Hux to get him to do what he wants, and harder still to keep him from doing something stupid.” Her hand gave his a little squeeze. “I see no reason why he’s not telling the truth.”

“Christ, Rey. I’m sorry,” he said, bringing her hand to his mouth. His lips were soft and warm on her knuckles. “I never should have gotten us into this mess.”

“Hey, it takes two to tango, so to speak. And three apparently to make a sex tape.”

His expression suddenly turned horrified. “Oh god, there isn’t video, is there?”

She huffed out a laugh. “No, not to my knowledge. He dropped something into your jacket pocket at Camp David expecting to maybe get some private conversations and accidentally hit the motherlode.”

He slid down so he was hunched on the couch. “Oh god, what are we going to do?”

Well wasn’t that the question of the moment. Her brain had been thinking about nothing else since the moment Hux laid all his cards on the table. And for all that considerable brain power, there was only one clear answer she could come up with.

“We leak the tape, and I resign.”

His answer was swift and sharp. “No.”

“Yes.” Her mind had been whirling since the second she’d heard the first gasp, her conclusion unwelcome but necessary. “The only person officially named on there is me. We play it off that I like to call my lovers ‘Mr. President,’ and Hux can’t refute it without copping to the recording in the first place. I resign, lay low for a bit, and maybe in a few years I get a book deal out of it.” 

She forced herself to smile at her little joke, but it had no effect on Poe.

“It would ruin you,” he said, his face showing nothing but concern. “I know you were young, but you saw what happened to Monica. She couldn’t get a job to save her life after all that.”

Rey knew all right. And that was all she could think about. She was falling into the exact ignominious fate her father had warned her about that awful day after Easter like the little self-fulfilling prophecy she was. Absently, she wondered what her version of the infamous blue dress would be for the public.

“She’s coming back now,” Rey said, more for herself than for Poe. “And the public’s tolerance for scandal is a lot higher these days. It could only take five or ten years for me.” Right in time for Poe’s second term to end. Because of course that was the other snag in the plan: there would be no amount of easing the American people into accepting them as a couple if she fell on this sword for them. They’d be back to square one and the original plan.

“No, I won’t allow it.” Poe got to his feet again, jostling Rey enough that she winced. His eyes locked on to her. “You’re in pain.”

Rey gave him a half smile, hoping it came off wry and not pained. “It’s been a long morning.”

He was across the room and digging in the Resolute Desk in an instant, his anger clear with each sharp movement of his body. Rey couldn’t help but be a little bemused by the shuffling sounds of all the junk he’d already shoved into the drawers. Such a packrat. When he came up victorious with a small bottle of pills - ostensibly something for her pain - it was almost laughable that such a historic and storied piece of furniture could hold something as banal as some ibuprofen. 

But before she could ponder on that any longer, he snatched the reusable water bottle he kept on his desk, crossed the room, and thrusted both bottle and pills into her waiting hands. “Here. Before I murder someone or start a war.”

She held out a hand, Poe tipping the three little round orangish-brown tablets into her palm. Of course he knew the dose she was holding herself to at the moment, it was Poe, after all. Rey took the water bottle and swallowed them down with grace before patting the seat next to her. The way he was pacing around the room made her nervous.

He dropped beside her, a little more carefully than before, and put an arm around her. She melted into his body, grateful for a moment of calm before the impending storm.

“Thank you,” she said, though whether it was for the pills or the comfort was anybody’s guess. Plus, she wanted to have him a little soft before she made her next declaration. “But, I’m still going through with it.”

“No, you aren’t.”

She looked up at him, the tumult in his eyes making this harder than it should have been. “With all due respect, that isn’t something you get to choose.”

“The hell I don’t. This affects both of us and don’t try to tell me otherwise.”

“Poe…”

“Rey, we do this together or not at all.”

She could hear the finality in his voice, what she fondly referred to as his Presidential Tone. Too bad it didn’t work on her.

She hadn’t wanted to tell him this part. There was enough on his plate, and though he was definitely joking earlier, there could be real repercussions to his rage. But instinctively she knew that the piece she withheld would be the only thing to make him see.

“It was Hux,” she said, the words turning her stomach, “behind my accident. He wanted to teach you a lesson.”

Poe stiffened beside her, his next words so careful, she knew he was fighting to stay calm. “And what lesson was that?”

She watched the knuckles of his free hand grip the couch so hard they went white. “That he could get to me. That he could get a desired reaction out of you.”

“So that’s how he’s going to get me to go along. By using you as bait.” He said it with a forced casualness, barely hanging on. And doing just for her benefit.

So she hated that the next words out of her mouth had to be, “Which is why I need to be gone from D.C.”

His head whipped to face her, mouth open to refute that statement, but she put up a hand before he could get out a word.

“Here me out. If I’m not here, he can’t use me against you. This is the safest way for us both. With me gone, you can serve out your presidency on your terms, with your agenda.” Then, grabbing his hand, she looked deep into his eyes, making sure he knew that she meant every word she said. “Please, let me do this for you.”

Poe obviously didn’t like it, but he swallowed thickly, as if he was actively forcing his own doubts down his throat. “But what will you do?”

She smiled despite the traitorous prick of tears in her eyes. “I’ll go back with Dad. Maybe see if I can get an adjunct position teaching poli-sci. Wait out the storm.”

“And what about us?” Poe narrowed his eyes, somehow managing to get right to the core of things.

“It’ll be a really long engagement.”

So many words were left unsaid between them, but as Poe continued to look into her eyes, she knew he understood. There would be no easing into it now, no public relationship. For the next four (or eight) years, they would remain together but apart.

“I don’t like this,” he said, his face displaying that displeasure. But he wasn’t fighting her on it.

“Neither do I.”

She settled back onto his shoulder, the drugs finally having their intended effect. But even as Poe accepted their fate, even as she was the one who suggested it, Rey’s mind couldn’t quiet down and savor what were probably some of the last moments they had together in the foreseeable future. 

There had to be another way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're two, maybe three, chapters from the end now! Hope you stick around for the conclusion!


	21. Day 99

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day before Poe signs his bill into law, he and Rey say their goodbyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know I am a day late, but I happened to start a new career yesterday, so I hope you'll forgive my tardiness. I'm going to be a little busier now with real life (boo!), but I still intend to update my stories once a week.
> 
> Sooooo by my count there are two more chapters after this one. This one is a lot angstier than I intended, but it works for the subject matter.

Tomorrow was the big day. 

As Poe sat in the Oval Office well into the evening hours, he couldn’t quite believe it. Years of planning, his biggest campaign promise, the work they’d been doing from the moment he stepped into office, it was all coming to fruition. Tomorrow, he would sit at this very desk, surrounded by aides and legislators and cameras and sign into law what the media was calling the Dameron Decree (its actual name being the much more boring American Investment Act).

He still couldn’t quite believe it. It had passed through the House and Senate with flying colors, far more bipartisan support than anyone had been expecting. His approval ratings were through the roof. And he had firmly cemented himself in the hearts of the American people as the rare politician who kept his promises. 

If only he could enjoy it.

Because not only was tomorrow the day of this historic signing, it was also the day that Rey would quietly tender her resignation and fade from White House life forever. 

Even that had been a compromise, Rey wanting to rip the bandaid off so to speak and get it over with sooner. But she’d seen the logic of waiting until after the bill was signed. That way, there would be no distraction from the important task at hand.

He hated it. There was no denying that. If the situation was any different, then there would have been no way he’d have agreed to this nonsense. This was America; he didn’t negotiate with terrorists. 

But if Hux had gotten to Rey once, he could get to her again. Though Poe had pointed out that he could also get to Rey at her Dad’s place, it had been quickly dismissed. Even Hux’s reach wasn’t that far. So they prepared themselves for the separation.

It wasn’t a break up. That was the fact that he kept repeating to himself over and over as the days went by and his heart ached in anticipation of their parting. They would still be together, just a few states apart. And surely they’d see each other as much as possible. Rey could come up for a weekend here, he could swing by her dad’s place on a campaign stop there. It wasn’t goodbye.

But the dread in his chest told him something different.

Sure, this had been the original plan, a plan he knew they should have stuck to in his darkest moments. Just stick it out until the end of his term (or terms) and then they’d be together. Only, in that incarnation Rey had been here. He could see her daily, even if he couldn’t touch her. Now, she’d be out of sight and out of mind, and a single question remained: would they make it?

In those dark moments, he imagined her going back to her hometown, letting the dust settle. She’d get that job as an adjunct in the poli-sci department her father was so prominent in. There, she’d meet someone, perhaps a fellow professor. The English department maybe. Or History. With him, there would be no baggage, no duty to country to keep them apart. She’d do the honorable thing and tell Poe before anything happened, and of course he wouldn’t hold her to any obligations. She wanted a family, kids, and he couldn’t give that to her for another however many years. He’d never keep her from that. And then when his time was up, he’d leave these hallowed halls, alone, with nothing to show for his dedication but a supporting role in the history books.

He had a very active imagination in his dark moments.

Leaning back in his chair, he turned his attention to the lit grounds just outside his windows. 

It was well past midnight, his time left with Rey measured now in hours and not days. They’d made the most of it, Rey spending every night since that fateful day with Hux at the Residence and in his arms. They had nothing to fear now; the worst had already happened.

So they spent the time memorizing each nook and cranny of the other’s bodies, every freckle, scar, and mark as they loved each other into oblivion every night. It would have to last them for a while. 

And yet here he was on their final night, still in the Oval despite the late hour.

The plan had been to make it an early night, have a romantic dinner for two, and spend the remaining balance of their time together fucking each other’s brains out, but alas it was not meant to be. A call and a crisis from across the world had carried Poe through dinner and into the evening, his national security and foreign policy advisors finally leaving only minutes ago. Rey knew of course, and she understood, but the thought that precious few of the last hours had been spent with a bunch of stuffy politicians and bureaucrats chafed. Though it was a fine lesson hammered home yet again. For the next four years (and maybe the four after that), he didn’t belong to himself. He belonged to the United States of America.

Sometimes, duty and honor really fucking sucked.

But that didn’t explain why he was still sitting in his chair some half an hour after they’d finished for the night. Rey was waiting. Yet, something, some strange bit of dread, was keeping him glued to his seat.

They had managed to not talk about their impending separation, choosing instead to enjoy the time for what it was: a final gift before parting. But there would be no escaping the goodbyes tonight. Rey had removed all of her things from his closet, all her toiletries from his bathroom. In the morning, she’d pack up the small overnight bag and be well and truly gone. Maybe that was the reason for his hesitation. He just didn’t want to say goodbye.

He loved her. Plain and simple. He loved her the way he had never loved anything in his life. Not even this job, if he was being perfectly honest with himself. He would have left it behind in a heartbeat, followed Rey wherever she wanted to go, but he knew that if he did that, he wouldn’t be worthy in her eyes. She believed in him the way no one else had, believed in his ideas and ability to change the world. The thought of disappointing her was unacceptable. He had taken an oath, and he would carry it out with the best of his ability. Even if he had to give up Rey for the time being.

They would see each other, he told himself firmly, though the back of his neck prickled with the happy lie. It wasn’t forever.

But once again his mind conjured images of Rey, happy outside the bustle of D.C., making friends and living life. Maybe one of those friends turned out to be something more, her eyes downturned as she returned the ring that held the promise they’d made to each other. 

In the Oval, he shook the offending images out of his head. He knew Rey better than that. It was natural for him to worry, but there was no way she’d fall in love with someone else, even someone without all the baggage. She was slow to trust, his Rey, and even slower to open herself up. It had taken her years to admit they were more than just a casual fling, long after they’d started spending every night together. If nothing else, she was good at waiting. It was him who rushed into things.

On that encouraging note, he rose from his seat, carefully turning off the lights as he went. Sure, he knew the cleaning people would be through shortly, but with all the focus his administration had on saving energy and going green, it felt like he was making a point. 

This was how he liked the West Wing best, quiet and mostly dark in the wee hours. Where during the day there was running and chaos and chatter, now there were only a few lone staffers burning the midnight oil and the ever present cleaning crew. But tonight, the halls were even empty of those, Poe relishing the sweet silence. He barely even registered Snap and Iolo joining his march to the Residence, their presence now so ubiquitous it wasn’t worth noting. They peeled off just as easily when Poe made it to the stairs that marked his commute was at an end.

Up those stairs he went, finding his home just as silent as the halls below. No sign of Rey or Bee’s jingling tags as he called out a soft greeting, loosening his tie as he went. 

Huh.

He peeked his head into the family dining room, finding the remains of a meal with one clean place setting and a second dirty. Good. At least she’d eaten. 

His explorations took him to the bedroom - empty - and then to the living room where he found the TV on low and Rey sleeping soundly on the couch, Bee snuggled up against her stomach. He watched them silently for a moment, his dog snoring and the love of his life not. Something impossibly fond ballooned in his chest as Rey shifted in sleep, her face more smooth and peaceful than he’d seen in months. Most of the bruises and scrapes had healed, leaving no lasting damage to that beautiful face. Even her wrist was out of the brace, resting on Bee like she’d fallen asleep giving pets. Which was probably accurate.

“Hey,” he said softly, poking at the dog. Bee opened his eyes slowly, a glare the little corgi shouldn’t have been capable of on his doggy face. “Come on, down. My turn, now.” 

Though he gave him a dog equivalent of a huff, Bee complied, dropping to the floor as gracefully as his awkward little body allowed. He trotted off, most likely in search of the next tie he could eat. Then there were two.

Poe attempted the same tack with Rey, loathe as he was to disturb her slumber. “Rey.” He gave her a gentle shake. “Come on, bedtime.”

But unlike Bee, she didn’t so much as shift, her breathing still perfectly deep and even. 

He found himself smiling down at her.

“Ok, have it your way.” And without further ado, he slid his arms under shoulders and knees, lifting her off the couch with a single, smooth movement.

Lifting weights had its perks.

She weighed next to nothing in his arms, though the movement as he headed toward the bedroom seemed to bring her around a little. Her head found its way to his shoulder.

“Did you eat yet?” she mumbled, breath warm and welcome on his neck. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t wait.”

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Yes, I did. And I’m glad you didn’t, it’s after midnight.”

That seemed to wake her up. “Midnight? No.”

“Midnight, yes.” His smile felt sad as she blinked up at him.

He set her gently on her side of the bed (and no, Poe didn’t want to think about how lonely it was about to be), Rey regaining a little more consciousness with every passing second. “But we lost the whole night. It’s already tomorrow.”

Though he knew she didn’t mean it as a recrimination, his heart twisted at the disappointment in those words. 

“I’m sorry, Rey. I’m so sorry.”

He went to tuck her into bed, but she grabbed onto his hands, tugging him fully clothed into the bed with her. Carefully, she finished removing his tie, setting it somewhere Bee (hopefully) couldn’t get it.

And so they laid facing each other under the covers, Poe taking the long minutes to memorize every curve and line of her face. There was a thin scar on her cheek, barely the size of an eyelash, the only remnant of that long ago car accident that took her mother. Then there were the freckles, lightly dusted, stretching from one cheek to the other across the bridge of her nose. Most days her makeup covered them, and Poe mourned their loss. But with her face clean and ready for bed, they were on full display. 

Rey seemed to be doing the same, though she wasn’t only content to look. No, her fingers traced the curve of his cheek, the line of his jaw, even the bow of his lips before finally finding their way to the crow’s feet she affectionately called “his crinkles.”

This whole past week she’d hid her sadness from him, putting on a happy face that he’d seen through despite her best efforts. Now, she’d dispatched with the mask, letting him see the full weight of her misery as they prepared to say their goodbyes. 

A tear fell from one corner of those hazel eyes to be absorbed by the pillow almost immediately. That more than anything told him the reality of their situation: Rey never cried. Or at least, she never let them fall. In the six years he’d known her, he’d maybe seen it once and even that was debatable. But here, in this bed, another tear fell, Poe’s hand coming up in just enough time to save it from the pillow.

“I love you,” he said, his own voice a little hoarse and shaking. Helpless against her tears, one of his own fell.

Her lips quirked into a sad-looking smile. “I know.”

He laughed, obviously the intended effect, before Rey drew his lips to hers. 

It was salty, and more than a little damp, but they had done this dance often enough that it was like second nature to them. Rey’s nimble fingers on Poe’s buttons, his hands under the thin shirt she’d chosen to sleep in, and in little time at all they were skin to glorious skin.

And yet, there was no rush, no hurry to reach some sort of finish line, Poe content on taking his time with her as he explored every glorious inch of her skin with lips and tongue and, occasionally, teeth. Rey practically purred under his steady attentions, no words necessary, not when her body told him everything he needed to know.

The slight shiver as he found the sensitive spot just behind her ear told him, “More.” The way her nipples pebbled when he took one in his mouth told him, “Again.” The soft clench of her stomach muscles while he worked his way down her midline told him, “Keep going.” And the way her thighs clenched around his ears when his mouth found her clit practically shouted, “Don’t stop.” Or more likely, stop at his own peril.

But Poe had no intention of stopping, at least not until she came apart for him. It was slow, methodical work, Poe taking his time even as he teased her higher. It would be far too long until he got to taste her like this again. He had to make it last.

And make it last he did, alternating his attentions between where he knew he’d get her off with nibbling on her thighs or kissing at her mound, the scrape of his day old beard leaving marks that would last. At least, for a day or two.

When his teasing had the intended effect and Rey was writhing and begging incoherently beneath him, he finally took mercy on her, concentrating those considerable talents on the sure fire way to get her off. It didn’t take much before she was coming for him, that gorgeous flush creeping up her chest as her muscles tensed and released in rapid succession. He took everything she gave, not stopping until she’d settled back against the mattress, spent.

But not a sound had escaped her lips. It seemed that Ben and Hux had stolen that inclination.

Finally, he looked up from his task, finding Rey grinning down at him with a gorgeous rosy flush on her cheeks. The look of a woman well serviced. 

“Get up here,” she said, tugging one of his arms. Poe went willingly, pressing a messy kiss to her mouth when he got there.

There was a spark of mischief in her eyes, one he knew to be a little afraid of when she declared, “Your turn.”

Payback time.

He wasn’t quite at full attention when she put her mouth on him, but that didn’t last long, not with the warm velvet of her lips and tongue working him with the dedication and tenacity she applied to all aspects of her life. She was ambitious. And it showed.

Though she also gave as good as she got, a subtle revenge for leaving her quivering on the mattress. Her hand worked in tandem, taking the inches (yes, inches, he could be proud of that) that her mouth couldn’t. It was sweet damnation as ran her tongue along his length, the muscles of his thighs jumping rather embarrassingly. She knew him so well, knew exactly how to steal every pant and moan from him, the fingers of her free hand teasing just so at his balls.

And she also knew exactly when to stop, when to give him a breath lest he spend right then and there.

Poe stared up at the ceiling, chest heaving from the effort of keeping himself together, when Rey’s smug face appeared in his view.

“Are you ready for me?” she whispered directly into his ear. Poe hated the reason for her near silence, but he wouldn’t comment on it. If it made her more comfortable, then so be it.

But Poe had a little life left in him yet, his cock hard and aching between them. He smiled up at her and without warning, flipped her to her back, the better to press that appendage to her belly. “I don’t know, you tell me.”

Her smile turned wicked, though she attempted to bite it down, and Poe found himself unable to kiss her in the moment. Her hand drifted between them to give him a firm tug.

“I’d say we’re ready,” she managed to get out when they finally parted, her breath a little heavier than it had been a minute ago.

He grinned down at her like the fool in love he was. “Not quite.” With a final peck, he was off to grab a condom from the side table (soon to be a non essential), sliding it on with the expert hand of a man more than ready to get down to business.

He sat up on the bed, guiding her to hover over his erection. She slid slowly down, both of them closing their eyes against the sensations. Her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, she seated herself fully on him, eyes bright when they met his a second later. It was a slow grind they started, eyes never leaving each other as they worked toward the common goal. Rey’s hands explored his skin while she moved, tracing strong shoulders, flat stomach, rounded biceps before burying themselves in his curls.

For his part, Poe kept the pace she’d set, hands firm yet gentle on her hips. The bruise at her ribs had faded into mottled yellow, but he was still careful with her, that mark a stern reminder of how fragile the human body could be.

Though they took their time, he could already feel a tightening low in his belly, his own pleasure rising and falling in time with her body. He put a hand between them, his palm massive against the milky skin between her hip bones as he stroked her higher.

Rey’s eyes fell closed, a sure-fire sign of what was to come - and quickly. Her movements were now just off his own, like she couldn’t quite grasp the pace anymore. Poe redoubled his efforts at her clit, his mouth finding her neck even as she grabbed onto his shoulders and held tight. 

And then, finally, with a sharp gasp her body tightened around him, only to release a moment later into a flurry of flutters that drew his own finish from him.

They held onto each other for dear life as their bodies settled, Poe unwilling to move even as he grew soft and a little too sensitive inside her. It felt too good to let go, their hearts beating together against his chest a steady reminder of their time together ticking away.

Slowly, they parted, both wincing as he took leave of her body. A thick silence had fallen, punctuated only by the rustle of movement as they put themselves to rights and found their way back under the covers.

“I love you,” he whispered into her hair, having taken her back into his arms.

Rey snuggled closer, no hint of play in her voice when she responded, “I love you, too.”

And so they stayed, watching as the sun crept in from the east, signaling their time was up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eek, one day left. I wonder how they'll figure their way out of this one?!
> 
> Tune in next Monday to find out!


	22. Day 100

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the bill is signed into law, Rey realizes there may be more than one way out of her current predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have made it to the penultimate chapter. This story was a RIDE, especially from a standpoint of the fact that it was only supposed to be a one-shot. Well, 75,000 words later...
> 
> This story was an unexpected joy, especially since when I decided to continue writing it I had literally no idea where to go. This was well and truly meant to be a one and done. But thanks to a few brainstorming sessions on Discord and a lot of daydreaming while I drove, I ended up with a story I'm actually quite happy with. Hopefully, you're happy with it, too.
> 
> I'll stop maundering on now, and let you actually read this thing. Thanks again for all the lovely comments and support throughout this story, and I hope you enjoy the last couple chapters!

Rey watched as minute by minute the sun crept a little more into the sky outside the window, starting as a just a hint on the horizon and slowly exploding into the pinks and oranges and bright blues of a D.C. sunrise. It was beautiful, she’d give it that. But all it did was remind her that her time was now up. Both at the White House and in Poe’s arms.

Speaking of Poe’s arms, they tightened around her, as if sensing the direction of her thoughts. She loved the way he held her, close to his naked body, the hair of one arm just tickling the underside of her breast. It was comforting, at once both familiar and intimate. Comfortable. And now she’d be without those touches for the foreseeable future.

“Penny for your thoughts,” he asked, his nose buried in her hair. She couldn’t imagine it smelled all that great, what after the night’s exertions, but he seemed quite at home.

She twisted to face him, Poe’s arm’s loosening automatically. “I don’t think you’d like them.”

He looked as tired as she felt, his face lined thanks to the sleepless night. That would make a pretty picture this afternoon at the signing. She’d have to send him to hair and makeup for those bags.

He kissed her nose. “Let me guess, you have to go?”

“I have to go,” she repeated, no question in her voice. 

A line came to the forefront of her mind.  _ Parting is such sweet sorrow _ . It was Shakespeare, if she wasn’t mistaken, though Rey had little patience for the love stories. The histories were much more her speed. Give her a bloody battle or a vicious betrayal any day. Though, she supposed that even some of the love stories ended with everyone dead on the stage. That felt a little on the nose at the moment.

“Or,” he said, a little bit of mischief returning to his face, “we could stay in bed all day and wait for the aides to drag us out.” His lips found her neck. “Or better yet, we can run away. Be Susie and Joe Smith, of Nowheresville, Ohio. Get quiet jobs in an office. Make babies in our spare time.”

Rey smiled at the silly musings, because that’s all they were: silly. He wasn’t any more serious about them than she was. And it was fun to play. “Ah, yes with our loads of marketable skills.”

“We have skills.” He demonstrated one of those by dipping a hand between them.

Rey’s eyes fell closed. “Bedroom skills don’t count.”

“We have other skills. Like, running the country. And…” he ferreted around for something else, “bossing people around.” 

“That’s not a skill one puts on a resume.” She laughed, Poe’s lips cutting her off. At least, temporarily. As soon as they parted, she continued on as if she’d never been interrupted. “And we’re assuming that no one realizes Susie and Joe look suspiciously like the missing President and Chief of Staff?” 

“Well, there will be disguises of course.” His fingers took a more deliberate approach to their ministrations.

“Of… course,” she managed to pant out, her own body betraying her. Oh, that was delightful. Just a little to the left… yup, right there.“How silly of me.”

While his hands did the thing, his lips continued to find ever more fascinating spots on her neck. “Perhaps I’ll shave my head. Grow a beard.”

Even through the rising pleasure, she managed to fix him with a scowl, bringing one hand up to rifle through those curls. “No, I’d miss them too much.”

“Well, that’s settled then,” he said, his hand picking up its tempo. He had his objective in sight - and he knew it. “The lady says no.”

Only, she was saying “yes” a second later when she finally cascaded over the edge, her body apparently not getting the memo that this was a somber occasion. For his part, Poe looked rather pleased with himself as she panted among the pillows, only a hint of that wistful sadness tingeing his expression. He pressed closer, one particular part of his anatomy missing her a little more than the rest.

There was something she could do about that. One last time.

Which is to say she immediately rolled him onto his back and lined herself up over him. “Tell me when,” she instructed as she started to sink down, Poe’s eyes rolling into the back of his head.

He never said “when.”

So it was several very satisfied minutes later that they both collapsed on to the bed, even more exhausted than they’d been just minutes before. 

“We’ve got to stop having one last go,” she said, not quite willing to leave his arms, “or we’ll never get out of this bed.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad to me.”

She swiped at him, but there was no heat in the gesture. Secretly, she was glad for the change in mood, a return to the banter they’d both fallen in love with. She wanted to remember him this way, not sad and serious and miserable. That wasn’t her Poe.

When she turned to look at him, expecting that bit of mischief in his eyes and finding something much more somber, it hit her. He was doing this for her benefit. Making it easier on her. And dear god in heaven, she loved him for it.

“Come on,” she said, pressing a lingering kiss on to that serious mouth. “We both have to shower, and I know how important saving water is to this administration.”

She got a genuine smile for that.

By two o’clock, Rey was dead on her feet. It was no surprise given that she hadn’t slept a wink the night before. Though while she looked and felt like death warmed over, not even 10 feet away, Poe was his usual, charming self, the press and staff eating out of his hands as he held court before the big signing. Fucker. She’d add that to the list of things that wasn’t fair.

“Ah, Ms. Skywalker,” came a voice so unctuous she’d need a second shower. “Good to see you looking so well.”

She turned to find Hux’s green eyes on her, a sickening smile on that pasty face. “I wish the feeling was mutual.”

He chuckled. 

“Glad to see you haven’t lost any of your fire. We’ll need that going forward.” He kept his voice low, his expression affable, like they were having a pleasant chat about the weather. “I’m so looking forward to our joint venture.”

Rey kept quiet, the only suitable answer to a subtle threat.

By necessity, Hux was in the dark as to the official plan. Hell, everyone but Poe and Rey were in the dark as to the official plan. Rey’s resignation letter and remarks to the media were tucked into her folio, and after this, she’d proceed to the official press briefing being held by Rose and make her announcement. 

She and Poe had come up with a marginal excuse, one so bland that it (hopefully) wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. Then, once the dust had settled, the tape would come out. Long enough for her to be away and Poe’s bill to get its day or two in the sun.

She hated every lying word of it.

That frustration boiled over with Hux looking triumphant and smug next to her. “Fuck you.”

Hux clucked his tongue at her. “Tisk, tisk, we’ll have to teach you some manners.”

She was about to lunge for him - a decidedly bad idea with the present witnesses - when Poe, sensing trouble, mercifully stepped in.

“Armitage, come, come up here. We’ll want you front and center with all of our partners.” He put an arm around Hux’s shoulders, a small feat to do gracefully thanks to their unmatched heights, and led him from the danger zone with a single warning look back.

Her Aunt Leia tried and failed not to pull a face when Poe brought him into the group making a half circle behind the Resolute Desk, the men and women who had spent the last 100 days (and quite a few before that) working tirelessly to bring this bill to fruition. 

She should have been among them. 

Just another injury to add to the tally, she supposed. Poe had wanted her up there, of course he had, but with her going to resign directly after this, Rey had been insistent. It would look bad and bring even more suspicions down on them if she was included. Let people believe that she was the young Chief of Staff in over her head, that she’d contributed little to the office and was making her quiet bow. It would be easier on everyone that way.

Too bad that didn’t make it sting any less.

So she kept to herself as the lucky few started to arrange for the pictures, the cameras being set up for the little speech and live portion of the event as they did so. 

“Big day,” came Finn’s voice from just behind her, his smiling face a welcome relief from her own dark thoughts. 

She returned the smile. “It really is.”

“Any reason you aren’t up there?”

Damnit, Finn. She loved the man like a brother, but he was too observant by half. And Rey was too tired to think on her feet.

Thankfully or unfortunately, it depended on how you looked at it, she was saved from having to lie by Hux’s reedy voice.

“Ms. Skywalker, you should be up here as well.” He beckoned her with a hand. “This whole enterprise would not have been possible without your firm guidance.”

There was something afoot here, but even as Poe’s eyes connected with hers in a nervous look, they both knew she couldn’t decline without arousing even more suspicion. Fuck, she should have just skipped altogether, claimed a headache. Which in all honesty was not far from the truth.

Which is how Rey found herself slapping on a hopefully convincing looking smile and joining the semi-circle behind the desk. Hux had so graciously made room for her next to him, much to the annoyance of her jostled aunt, the better to issue his thinly veiled threats.

“We couldn’t have you escaping notice, now could we dear?” he asked in a low tone, his mouth unmoving as they smiled for the cameras. “Must have my prizes front and center.”

Rey blinked away the dancing spots, the activity around them reaching a fever pitch as they prepared to go live to the nation. A woman came out of the woodwork to touch up Poe’s makeup - so that’s why he looked so fresh - Rey just trying to keep her fatigue and rising panic from putting her on the floor.

And still, even as her own heart was breaking at their impending separation, even as she could feel Hux’s unctuous gaze upon her, even as it dawned on her that this was her last act as Chief of Staff, Rey felt a genuine smile on her face as Poe addressed the nation on the merits of his bill.

No, their bill.

Because unbeknownst to all, it had all started many months ago, back when the primaries were even a distant future away, with Poe and Rey in bed, an idea forming as a bit of political pillow talk. And from there it had bloomed, eventually becoming the legislation Poe was now speaking of so fondly. Yes, she had been there every step of the way and not even her dread at what she had to do next could take away her pride at having made it this far.

Because even in her short time here, she had done a lot of good. 100 days, that’s all she’d got to change the world, and even so she’d made the most of it. Abruptly, she felt the loss of the rest of those four years she was owed. There was so much she had wanted to do, so much that was now out of her reach. And yet, the coward standing next to her would be smugly wreaking havoc for the next six or so years unchecked. That most of all was unfair to her. He’d illegally recorded them, orchestrated a car accident, and now successfully blackmailed them, and he’d get off scot free while Rey weathered the scandal and Poe’s good name was blackened by mere association. Not to mention that they were engaged and would have to spend the next four years (or eight, god willing) awaiting their own lives to start. 

A few truths slid into place in her head as Poe picked up the first of the ten or so pens he’d sign his name with. 

They were engaged. She had proof of that around her neck.

Looking around the room, it dawned on her that she was not without allies. They had friends here.

Next to her, Hux was smiling that obnoxious smile, completely in charity with the world. And too overconfident by half.

An idea was starting to take root.

That idea germinated, growing with each ridiculous flourish of Poe’s pen, as he handed those writing implements off to the gathered crowd (Rey included), even as he gave his finishing remarks and took questions.

Rey held on to that pen for dear life, a tangible reminder of their months and months of efforts. From the planning of this event, she knew they’d also each receive a handsome case engraved with the date and the name of the legislation, like she or anyone else could forget the occasion. Then again, Aunt Leia surely had stacks of these thanks to her long standing as a senior member of Congress. If all went according to plan, this would be Rey’s one and only acquisition.

Good thing she’d decided things were not about to go according to plan.

It felt like an eternity passed as Poe patiently answered questions and joked with the press. He was a charming bastard, and the world knew it. The press and the U.S. people ate out of his hands. Why the hell hasn’t they thought to use it to their advantage sooner? Or at all? Truly a mystery of the first degree. Then again, panic and fear didn’t lend themselves to much in the way of logical thinking.

But for the first time since Hux had weaseled his way onto her schedule, she was calm, a sense of clarity having come over her in what should have been her final moments in government. Amazing what perspective a bit of introspection provides.

She looked around the room carefully, picking out faces among the blur of reporters and coming up short. Of course, the one time she was actually looking for that woman…

The whole thing ended abruptly, without warning or fanfare, everyone simply filing out in that orderly chaos the West Wing was known for.

“Ms. Skywalker, a word?” Poe’s voice was detached, generally polite for the audience. Most people were paying them no mind - the cameras were already packed and moving, the room emptying with surprising speed - but there were always ears listening. Especially since Hux made excuses to linger, chatting up a fellow Senator she knew for a fact he hated.

If she let herself stay behind, she knew exactly what would happen. Poe would say sweet things and she’d lose her nerve and she’d be packed and out of here by end of day. Though she longed to share her plan with Poe, the less people who knew what she was about to do, the better.

So she looked Poe straight in the eye and replied, “Sorry, sir. I’m late to a meeting.”

Rey pretended not to see the disappointment in his gaze or the strange murmur that went through the room. One did not turn down the President of the United States. You rearranged your schedule to better suit his needs.

That was probably more of a tip off than she wanted it to be, but if she had to go through with the original plan as expected, it would make sense to everyone in hindsight.

Now to find Zorii Bliss.

The woman in question was biding behind a desk in one of the tiny closets that passed for a private office in the press pool. Her head shot up at Rey’s knock.

“Ms. Skywalker, what a rare honor. Please come in.”

Rey did as requested, ignoring the slight in Zorii’s words. It was true, up until this point Rey had avoided her like the plague. 

“We missed you at the signing,” said Rey, moving nearly an entire ream of paper to sit on one of the chairs at Zorii’s desk. 

She dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand. “Those things are always so boring. Just a load of back patting and self congratulations. I sent a cub reporter to get what I needed.”

Rey nearly snorted. That tracked. Zorii liked a good scandal, thus there was nothing of interest at such a staged event. Which just so happened to be the exact reason why Rey was sitting in her office.

Never one for nonsense or wasted words, Zorii turned her electric green gaze on Rey. “So, I’m sure this isn’t a social call. What can I do for you?” 

She gave a pointed look at the small folder Rey was worrying in her hands, the culmination of nearly a week’s work of gathering information. But Rey was no investigative reporter. Good thing Zorii was.

Rey handed over the folder, watching with bated breath as Zorii poured over the contents, asking the occasional question. It was nearly an hour later that Zorii closed the folder, leaning back in her chair with a thoughtful expression on her face. 

She’d given the woman every card they held in their hand against Hux, enough to ruin her and Poe three times over. All of their secrets and as much of the story of the last 100 days that Rey could piece together. Including a certain recording.

Rey’s heart thundered, unable or unwilling to wait patiently for something more than a thoughtful look from Zorii. “Can you help us take him down?”

Zorii’s eyes fixed on Rey’s face, her smile growing predatory. And for once, that was a good thing. “Close the door.”

Two hours later, Rey was standing just off to the side in the briefing room, waiting for Rose to finish her daily spiel. If her friend was suspicious of Rey’s request to have a few minutes of time at the podium, then she didn’t let on. Then again, Rey had addressed the press on more than one occasion. Perhaps it wasn’t all that out of the ordinary.

Though not giving Rose a copy of her remarks definitely was.

Rey held said speech, still unsure of what she was going to do. The paper held the lovely parting words she and Poe had crafted, her quick departure being blamed on a sick family member and the fact that she’d successfully completed her goal to pass the Dameron Decree.

While Zorii hadn’t been able to give her a firm answer - these things took time apparently, which is the one thing Rey didn’t have - there was apparently a lot to go on. Like, a lot, a lot to go on.

Which left Rey with a decision to make.

Rose was finishing up her own remarks, and all too soon, Rey heard her name. 

“As a special surprise because you’ve all been so good today,” Rose was saying, Rey’s heartbeat notching up in accordance, “we have the Chief of Staff, Rey Skywalker, here to give a few remarks.”

Rose ceded the podium to her, a definite question in her eyes. Rey avoided them.

She set her paper down on the lectern, taking a deep breath. This was just like any other day. She smiled into the lights. “Good afternoon. I promise I’ll make my comments brief so you can get to the fun part.” The fun part being the thousands of questions sure to be lobbed Rose’s way as soon as Rey vacated the podium. 

If someone would have told her a year ago that Rey would be 100% comfortable in front of the press and the cameras, she probably would have laughed them off the stage. But the campaign had disabused her of any nerves and somehow made her not only comfortable but somewhat of a media darling. They loved her, though the feeling wasn’t always mutual. She’d need to rely on some of that good will now.

“As of today, I would like to…” Rey looked down at the next words, knowing that she should continue to read off the words on the page. 

_ Tender my resignation as White House Chief of staff _ . 

Those words were poised on the tip of her tongue. It was the right thing to do. The plan as she and Poe had seen fit. Doing anything else would be irresponsible, irrational, any number of words beginning with “ir.” 

With a final deep breath, she made a decision.

“... announce that I am happily engaged to the President of the United States.” She lifted the ring out from under her shirt amid a flurry of flashbulbs. “I will not be taking questions at this time.”

She stepped back with a smile on her face as the world turned into a shouting, flashing blur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On that note, see you next Monday with a sweet little epilogue!


	23. Epilogue - Day 1,461

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Inauguration day for President Poe Dameron and an old name brings up some old feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is here! Not gonna lie, I got a little weepy when finishing this one last night. It's been a ride, folks. 
> 
> Without further ado, I present the epilogue of Mr. President.

Rey blinked against the flashbulbs, trying not to wince or pull a face. From experience, she knew all too well what those pictures would look like, and it wasn’t pretty. Instead, she made herself smile, the expression only half-forced on her face. 

Next to her, Poe’s smile was wide and natural, the lights and cameras just a part of everyday life for him these days. Though she’d spent the past four years in much the same state, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be quite used to it. Sensing the tenor of her thoughts, Poe patted the hand that rested in the crook of his elbow.

“Just a few more seconds, and we’ll be free,” he said, leaning close to whisper in her ear. “Pretend I’m telling you exactly what I’ll be doing to you tonight in the Lincoln Bedroom.”

And then, he actually did. It was rather inventive and involved not one but two of his favorite neckties.

To the crowd, she knew it looked like he was whispering sweet nothings into her ear, Rey’s corresponding blush helping to sell the farce. Despite her own best efforts, her smile went wide. 

In the next minute, the press was parting, revealing a grand room decked out in all its splendor. Though they had obviously been aiming for tastefully patriotic, she had never seen so many damn flags in her life. And buntings. And portraits of long dead men whose function she honestly couldn’t have told you with a gun to her head. 

She loved every tasteless inch of it.

This was the first stop of the night, and while Rey knew it would get old eventually, she couldn’t help but feel a little thrill as Poe led her into the room. It was a ball, after all, one of ten or so they’d attend that evening and every eye was on them. Or more like, the frothy confection she called a dress. As they well should be. This thing was gorgeous, chic despite its proportions, and completely American made. There would be a full spread in Women’s Wear Daily tomorrow, which had been an excellent excuse to talk about the administration’s Buy American Campaign, the focus of their second term.

“I can see those wheels turning from here.” 

Poe’s soft voice brought her out of her own head, Rey looking up to find Poe’s eyes on her, one brow raised. Busted.

“I thought we said no work tonight.” His gentle chiding held no heat, and Rey fixed him with what she hoped was a sardonic look. 

“This whole night is work.” She gave a pointed glance toward the swarms of lobbyists and donors just waiting for them to get their bearing enough to pounce.

Poe laughed, the sound barely more than a low rumble amidst the clamor of the room. “Touché.”

Together they made their way through the crowd, forced to stop and chat amiably with the lobbyists and benefactors and all manner of people who “just wanted a moment of the President’s time.” It was miserable work, and by the end of a very long half hour, the event had lost some of its shine as Rey’s stomach grumbled audibly and ominously, her feet pinching and swollen despite the stylist’s concession to flats. 

Rey had told that woman exactly where to stick those heels.

But no amount of cute flats hidden under layers and layers of frothy tulle could put an end to the gnawing ache of her empty stomach, the offending organ giving a strange - and visible - lurch right on cue.

The night was carefully timed, allotting only a set time at each event, and no dinner until the third - or maybe it was the fourth - venue. Which was at least another two hours away. She honestly didn’t know if she’d make it until then.

“Somebody’s hungry,” whispered Poe as they waited for someone in the oil industry to make their way forward. Rey wasn’t even sure how he managed an invite to this. His interests weren’t even close to their own policy. She made a mental note to talk to Kay. “I have those granola bars you’ve been craving stuffed in every pocket.”

Her heart squeezed at the small, but welcome gesture, tears pricking at her eyes. Which happened an embarrassing amount these days. 

“Have I mentioned lately that I love you?”

Poe laughed, pressing a kiss to her temple even as she started to pat him down for the snacks. “All the time, and not nearly enough.” He watched as she found one of the bars. “Don’t you want to wait until we’re in the limo?”

She silenced that nonsense with a single look.

Knowing better, he made a gesture of surrender. “Carry on.”

But it turned out to be a moot point when a young senator appeared in front of them before Rey could take so much as a nibble of her purloined prize. With no little bit of annoyance, she stuffed the bar into her clutch. For later.

“Mr. President, First Lady, my sincerest congratulations on winning your second term.” Though she’d had the title for years now, she was first and foremost the Chief of Staff, so much so that it was still a little shock to hear herself referred to as the First Lady. “I wanted to see how you were faring since the news about Hux broke.”

For a second, Rey was transported back in time nearly four years, to when that name haunted their every move and worst nightmares. But it wasn’t four years ago. She looked at Poe, the look of concern and confusion on his face a mirror of her own feelings.

When neither of them said anything, the man continued, the slight shift of his weight from foot to foot the only sign that he’d picked up the tension. “You know, his upcoming release.”

All Rey could do was blink at that information.

“Has it been that long already?” Poe’s voice sounded more curious than anything else, genuine wonder at how fast the time had flown.

The young senator seized the opportunity. “Well, it’s a little early isn’t it? But good behavior is good behavior, even if it's just at a cushy Club Fed.” 

That’s when it dawned on Rey why the man was familiar. Senator Beaumont Kin of Kentucky. This was the man who took over Hux’s seat when he’d been expelled from the Senate. No wonder he had such an interest in Hux’s release. Not that he had to worry. Hux couldn’t hold office even if he wanted to and Kin’s constituents absolutely loved him. There was no question that he’d retain his seat at the upcoming midterms. 

But Senator Kin was looking anything but sure as he looked at Poe and Rey’s faces. “Sorry, I just figured with your… connection…” Well that was a very polite way of saying it. Most would have at least brought up the sex tape. “...you’d want to know.”

Rey felt a smile curling on her lips. “I think I speak for both of us when I say, we honestly haven’t thought of that man in years.” And then, to everyone’s surprise, she laughed, the sound more of a relief than anything else.

Because that was the god’s honest truth: It had been years since she had given that man so much as a second thought. Which, if you had told Rey that four years ago, she wouldn’t have believed it for a second.

It had felt like the end of the world as they knew it back then, or at the very least, the end of their political careers. Even as she’d taken matters into her own hands at the podium, that feeling of doom had continued to press down on her, the knowledge that this could be the end for both of them refusing to be quashed. But then as she’d stepped back and left Rose to deal with the roar of the press, she’d looked down at her phone to find a single text from Poe:

**_Good god, I love you._ **

And she’d known in that moment, without a doubt, that she’d made the right choice.

Things had moved fast after that, Zorii’s first entry in a series of exposés about Hux’s shady dealings hitting the internet that very night, despite her insistence that these things took time. By the time the third one dropped, he’d been expelled by the Senate. By the fifth, he’d been charged. And by the time the seventh and final entry was published, Hux had taken a plea deal and Zorii was on the short list for a Pulitzer. Which she later won.

But in the years since, Hux had not so much as crossed her mind, and that - even more than the years in prison or the fact that the scandal had passed them harmlessly by - felt like a victory to her.

In the here and now, Poe was smiling at her. “I’d have to agree with my wife on that one.”

They were all saved from further conversation when the young aide in charge of shuttling them from ball to ball interrupted. “Apologies, Mr. President, First Lady, they’re about to announce you for your dance.”

“On that note,” Poe said, sticking out a hand for Senator Kin to shake. “It was good talking to you. Call my office to set something up. I’d love to have you on the Buy American Initiative.”

Beaumont Kin’s eyes went wide. “Of course, Mr. President.”

In the next second, they were being hustled (as much as Rey could hustle in her present state) toward the edge of the dance floor, leaving behind a very awestruck senator.

“Very smooth back there,” she said when they were patiently waiting for their cue. 

He pressed a kiss into her temple. “I had to do something to distract him from that topic. If I never have to hear Hux’s name again, it will be too soon.”

Rey found she agreed. Whole heartedly.

From the hidden speakers, a voice rang out across the ballroom. “Now, may I present to you, President Poe Dameron, and Chief of Staff and First Lady, Rey Skywalker.”

“I believe that’s our cue.” Poe was all smiles as he led her out onto the floor, every eye in the ballroom on them. 

“I can’t believe they announced me as Chief of Staff first,” she said over the orchestra’s rousing rendition of “Hail to the Chief.” 

There was a sparkle in Poe’s eye. “I may have left specific instructions.”

Had she mentioned that she loved this man?

And yet, she didn’t even need to say the words, a single look doing enough to earn her a hearty, “I know,” from her husband.

When they reached the center of the dance floor and the band slowly changed songs, he brought her close with a tug of his hands. Well, at least as close as they could get with their unborn daughter between them.

She had been a surprise, making her presence known right when the campaign was starting to heat up. Neither of them had planned on adding another member to the campaign team (or for Rey to be a whopping seven months pregnant for the Inauguration), but sometimes the one thing you didn’t plan just so happened to be the best thing that ever happened to you.

Familiar strains reached her ears as they began to move, smile spreading across Rey’s face in spite of herself.

“‘It’s Been a Long, Long Time?’ Really?”

Poe just brought her closer. “What can I say? It’s our song.”

And she supposed it was. They’d danced to it the night of his first Inauguration. In Prague. At their wedding in the Rose Garden three years ago. It was only fitting that the tune usher in their second term as well.

“You’re going to make me dance to this at every ball, aren’t you?” asked Rey with a long-suffering sigh.

“All ten.”

Right on cue, their daughter gave Rey an emphatic nudge, enough that she knew Poe felt it too.

Poe’s smile went wide with wonder. “See, she agrees.”

Rey hid her grin against his cheek while Poe led her in a whirl across the floor. Yup, she definitely loved him.

Rather than admit that, she mumbled, “Whatever you say, Captain America.”

His next words were spoken directly into her ear. “I like it better when you call me Mr. President.”

Despite the audience, a shot of desire spread through her, visions of what they’d get up to in the Lincoln Bedroom floating in her mind. Thankfully, the song was ending, Rey unsure how much longer she could keep track of the steps.

“I love you, Rey Skywalker,” he whispered in her ear just before guiding her into a dramatic dip made all that more impressive by her seven months pregnant belly.

But there wasn’t even a hint of fear in her, knowing as she did that she would never come to harm in his arms. So she was smiling when he brought her back to rights, her own words nearly swallowed by the final bars of the song. 

“And I love you, Mr. President.”

Around them, the crowd went wild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all she wrote! Not bad for a supposed one-shot, am I right? Thanks to everyone for all the words of encouragement and support. I can guarantee you that I wouldn't have finished without it. Now, on to the next story!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
